CALGARY RESTAURANT OWNER FURIOUS AT OILERS OVER UNPAID TAB

Xbfeng

CTV 1/1/2010
CALGARY -- The manager of an upscale Calgary restaurant is furious, claiming that Edmonton Oilers players refused to cover the full cost of a nearly $17,000 tab during a New Year's Eve night out for team members.
9 i; F4 V6 f; Q3 E, o  E5 _" v
Maurizio Terrigno of Osteria de Medici, the restaurant where former U.S. president George W. Bush dined when he was in Calgary last year, said the team and staff owed $16,796.39 but wanted a break on the bill and paid $12,381.45.

Terrigno said about half of the bill was for alcohol totalling $8,248, including dozens of shots of tequila and bottles of expensive wine and $1,000 champagne.
$ M2 R: J$ j) u- U& b
( V1 |  B3 X8 m# _5 @; t"These guys came in, they enjoyed our hospitality and when the bill came ... they went ballistic to the point where they started threatening, denigrating my staff, saying, `We're the Edmonton Oilers, we expect a 50 per cent discount,' " said Terrigno.

9 T3 m* s7 b5 z5 z9 z* b( U* UTerrigno said 45 people ordered off the menu and their total bill came to $14,234.23, including $677.98 for GST. The restaurant usually adds an automatic 18 per cent gratuity for a large group, which would bring the total to $16,796.39.

The Oilers had lost by a score of 2-1 earlier in the night against the Calgary Flames.

$ u1 V- W2 e+ q( W  ?' ]Oilers spokesman Allan Watt said the restaurant was recommended by some Calgary friends of the players and they had a prearranged meal and menu.

0 B" U3 v* I: l2 j: m5 p9 x"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.
2 Y2 m* D- R% ]# ^2 O
"They inquired about it and they were unhappy about it and were unhappy with some of the charges. The restaurant adjusted it by $7,000."

4 K' g% `' v# Y8 ?2 wWatt said the players paid the adjusted bill and added a $1,900 tip and left the restaurant.

Terrigno said the group, which included team captain Ethan Moreau, attempted to negotiate a discount on the bill.
6 e- R: P# Z" J& _9 [+ ^$ w
- ~. s- ~* x  ]( L2 MHe said the players argued they should pay by the bottle for dozens of shooters purchased during the bash, but the restaurant charged them for each one individually.
# a4 }. |9 o) n# J6 t$ V
% r* r* F; U1 P# AThe restaurant tried to charge for a bottle of an imported expensive brandy after one of the players took a swig straight from it.

"They refused to pay for the whole bottle because they didn't consume the whole bottle," said Terrigno.
* U) m  e! x1 Q" K$ X1 J$ k
: R4 D9 M; e5 x9 j9 [: WHe said there's no way the restaurant will serve other clients from the same bottle.
% ?3 L& |# E+ Z3 H. Y; @# _7 z. M
Terrigno said at one point he threatened to phone police.
  K! T) ?% f6 C
"It's the first time during the 37 years of business have I ever experienced something like this," he said. "What's more upsetting is we know who they are."

! |% w0 o. J  x: STerrigno said because he was infuriated by what happened he plans on donating the money the players paid the restaurant to charity.

千度

The Edmonton Oilers players were ripped off.