Edmontonians: Classy people, or classiest people?

[Asher]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Oilers+players+refused+bill+Calgary+restaurant+owner/2397784/story.html

Oilers players refused to pay $18,000 bill: Calgary restaurant owner

CALGARY - The owner of an upscale Calgary restaurant is blowing the whistle on Edmonton Oilers players he says refused to pay after racking up a massive New Year's Eve tab.

Osteria De Medici owner Maurizio Terrigno says the players wined and dined 45 people running up a bill of nearly $18,000.

But when staff delivered the bill, the players demanded a discount on their bar tab, which included 100 shots of tequila, $150 bottles of wine, and magnums of champagne listed on the menu for $1,000.

The liquor portion of the bill rang in a $8,000, Terrigno says.

The owner alleges the players were verbally abusive to staff and insisted they deserved special treatment.

After a heated exchange, the players left $12,000 after the northwest restaurant reduced the bill.

Terrigno says he's donating the money to a relief fund for earthquake victims in L'Aquila, Italy.

"This is improper conduct of people of that status. These are supposed be role models," Terrigno says.

Efforts are being made to reach Edmonton Oilers executives for comment.

I must say, this runs contrary to all of my life experience with Edmontonians.

I'm so angry I may just run down Whyte Avenue setting cars on fire and flipping them over randomly.

Also, who drinks Tequila at upscale Italian restaurants?

[notyoueither]

Why did the owner not call the police?

[Asher]

Because it's not against the law to be douchebags and contest the bill?

If they left without paying, then he'd call the police.

[Theben]

I must say, this runs contrary to all of my life experience with Edmontonians.

I'm so angry I may just run down Whyte Avenue setting cars on fire and flipping them over randomly.

Aren't Canadians supposed to be like friendly n stuff, so like you'd ask permission 1st?


"I say, old hoser, can I like flip your car over... cuz I'm like mad at the Oilers, yaknow eh?"

[notyoueither]

Because it's not against the law to be douchebags and contest the bill?

If they left without paying, then he'd call the police.

BS.

If you try to stiff an establishment for $6000 of legitimate charges, you will get a very fast ride to a special hotel.

[notyoueither]

By the way...

http://twitter.com/dantencer

Oilers say the restaurant story is BS. They got a $19,000 bill that was way too high and asked for it to be re-checked. New bill was $12,381

...

They paid for it on credit card and left. Through the grapevine, I hear that the Flames had a similar experience at same place last year.

Sounds like a scum bag owner padding bills, to me.

[SlowwHand]

Now wait a minute. Another team, that's known, had a similar incident of skipping out?

[notyoueither]

I think he's saying that the Flames (home town team) had a similarly inflated bill presented to them within the last year or so.

Nobody skipped out. A $12K bill was paid. The police were not called. Do you think the $18K bill was legitimate?

[Asher]

Who is that douche?

He should do some basic fact checking.

The Oilers communication staff tells it differently:

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Oilers+players+refused+bill+Calgary+restaurant+owner/2398104/story.html

CALGARY — The Edmonton Oilers started the year off by causing a scene at a Calgary restaurant that now has them labelled as cheapskates.

The owner of the high-profile Calgary restaurant says the players refused to pay a massive New Year’s Eve tab.

Osteria de Medici owner Maurizio Terrigno says the players wined and dined 45 people, running up a bill of nearly $18,000.

But when staff presented the bill, the players were surprised at the whopping total. Terrigno says they demanded a discount on their bar tab, which included copious tequila shooters, fine wines, and $500 magnums of champagne.

The liquor portion of the bill rang in at $8,000, Terrigno says.

But the team’s spokesman says the restaurant’s claims are false, and the team simply paid an amended bill with tip.

They were expecting to be charged for bottles of liquor, rather than for each shooter.

The owner alleges the players were verbally abusive to staff and insisted they deserved special treatment.

The group of players, wives and girlfriends reserved the celebrity-attracting Kensington restaurant’s private dining room for 8 p.m., after losing to the Calgary Flames 2-1 Thursday night.

“Everything was running fine until the end of the evening. Then it fell apart,” said Terrigno.

“They went ballistic. They wanted a discount because they are the Edmonton Oilers. Wherever they go, they get a discount. It was a disgusting display.”

One point both sides agree on is the sticker shock from the alcohol tally.

“When the final bill came, they were very upset,” said Allan Watt, the Oilers’ vice-president of communications.

“They protested it and the bill was adjusted by $6,000. They paid the adjusted bill and left a generous tip of about $1,800, and left the restaurant,” said Watt, who didn’t attend the party.

“They have the receipt to prove they paid the adjusted bill.”

Hors d’oeuvres, mineral water, and dinner for 45 rang in over $5,000 — before tax and tip.

The rest of the bill was for alcohol.

Players and guests downed whipped cream-topped shooters with suggestive names, tequila, vodka, rum, beer, wine, and magnums of pricey Dom Perignon champagne.

“It’s uncalled for. Don’t let alcohol be an excuse. These guys were rude and belligerent and I want everybody to know it,” said Terrigno.

“I deal with the Calgary Flames and they are first class. I have the Toronto Maple Leafs here tonight.”

The group, including team captain Ethan Moreau, tried negotiating a discount and during a heated exchange, refused to pay entirely at one point, he says.

In the end, Terrigno says the players left $12,000 after the northwest restaurant relented and knocked $6,000 off the bill.

They didn’t include the mandatory 18 per cent tip for groups, he alleges.

“This is improper conduct of people of that status. These are supposed to be role models,” Terrigno says.

Osteria de Medici is a hot spot for movie stars, athletes and visiting dignitaries.

Former U.S. president George W. Bush dined in the same private room during his visit to Calgary last March.

Terrigno says he’s trying to make a point by donating the money to a relief fund for earthquake victims in L’Aquila, Italy.

It really should be quite obvious what happened here. The Oilers ordered individual shots and (in the words of the Edmonton Journal) "expected" to be charged per bottle, which restaurants do not do unless you pre-arrange bottle service. When you order one hundred girly-drink shots at a top-end restaurant, it ****ing adds up. They wanted a discount after the fact (which Oilers PR coyly refers to as the "amended bill").

As for this douche on twitter who "hears things in the grapefine", the owner of the restaurant seems to think the Flames were all class and has never had issues with them. Or the Toronto Maple Leafs. Just the Oilers.

Are you telling me its unfathomable for you for a bunch of hockey players who just got their ass kicked again by their chief rival, wallowing in the bottom of the standings, out of town on new years eve, and smashed out of their ****ing minds on Tequila would become belligerent and abusive?



To be abundantly clear, there is absolutely no evidence, no reasonable accusations that the Flames behaved similarly at any time. In fact, the owner of the restaurant is quoted only saying extremely positive things about the Flames in all news articles on this story. The only source otherwise is some douche on twitter who doesn't even cite anything aside from the nebulous "grapevine".

[SlowwHand]

No one on duty had a taser?

[Asher]

TSN's story also doesn't jive with the bull**** put forth by that guy on twitter.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=304329

CALGARY RESTAURANT OWNER FURIOUS AT OILERS OVER UNPAID TAB

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.

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.

"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.

Terrigno 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.

Oilers spokesman Allan Watt said the restaurant was recommended by some Calgary friends of the players and they had a prearranged meal and menu.

"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.

"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."

Watt 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.

He 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.

The 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.

He said there's no way the restaurant will serve other clients from the same bottle.

Terrigno said at one point he threatened to phone police.

"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."

Terrigno said because he was infuriated by what happened he plans on donating the money the players paid the restaurant to charity.

[notyoueither]

The liquor portion of the bill rang in at $8,000, Terrigno says.

$8K for food for 45 people in 90 minutes?

“They protested it and the bill was adjusted by $6,000. They paid the adjusted bill and left a generous tip of about $1,800, and left the restaurant,” said Watt, who didn’t attend the party.

“They have the receipt to prove they paid the adjusted bill.”

...

In the end, Terrigno says the players left $12,000 after the northwest restaurant relented and knocked $6,000 off the bill.

They didn’t include the mandatory 18 per cent tip for groups, he alleges.

Somebody is not telling the truth.

Only problem for scum-bag shyster, he showed the paid bill to CTV.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/

[notyoueither]

I especially love this part.

Terrigno said because he was infuriated by what happened he plans on donating the money the players paid the restaurant to charity.

What a ****trumpet.

I have a feeling he is about to learn that while the Oilers are hated in Calgary, professional hockey is a small, close fraternity.

He's got his several thousands of dollars of free publicity, but his establishment is likely to be avoided like the plague by most people from thirty teams.

[Asher]

The liquor portion of the bill rang in at $8,000, Terrigno says.

$8K for food for 45 people in 90 minutes?

“They protested it and the bill was adjusted by $6,000. They paid the adjusted bill and left a generous tip of about $1,800, and left the restaurant,” said Watt, who didn’t attend the party.

“They have the receipt to prove they paid the adjusted bill.”

...

In the end, Terrigno says the players left $12,000 after the northwest restaurant relented and knocked $6,000 off the bill.

They didn’t include the mandatory 18 per cent tip for groups, he alleges.

Somebody is not telling the truth.

Only problem for scum-bag shyster, he showed the paid bill to CTV.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/

Are you having an epic ****ing brainfart here, nye?

What doesn't add up here? Everything you quoted matches up exactly with the revised bill in the picture.

The mandatory 18% tip is well in excess of the amount they gave.

[notyoueither]

They didn’t include the mandatory 18 per cent tip for groups, he alleges.