CALGARY RESTAURANT OWNER FURIOUS AT OILERS OVER UNPAID TAB

Xbfeng

CTV 1/1/2010
/ A: \! e, h+ S+ r2 L, JCALGARY -- 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.
% c; c/ S+ c& O
. x1 `' T/ U3 |) `6 Y% s) XMaurizio 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.
' [4 x1 b, ?/ y8 Q0 q
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.

) C1 n4 M6 F0 M) u) x  KTerrigno 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.
" C/ H  n. y& e5 G: x4 ?- o( u
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.
9 q! Y, `' ^1 q1 h( M7 Y4 ?
( h& y) k# r9 u' P1 Z& l5 x# g"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.
1 E$ s: ?3 E* p5 X* I
"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.

9 N" \& D* n2 ]7 pTerrigno said the group, which included team captain Ethan Moreau, attempted to negotiate a discount on the bill.

0 C+ l( Q7 T" i, N: d+ nHe 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.

. ]! r, [+ K3 a. a" vThe restaurant tried to charge for a bottle of an imported expensive brandy after one of the players took a swig straight from it.

$ b9 y# U- I! k8 s) D, \"They refused to pay for the whole bottle because they didn't consume the whole bottle," said Terrigno.
) ]7 J/ `/ _$ v6 q" h1 r
" ?* y1 y/ s( Y$ }! j1 r& Q- V& @' cHe said there's no way the restaurant will serve other clients from the same bottle.
5 e4 @/ [# {  C+ F4 Z4 o1 F
- J6 h2 V# S& O# Y  hTerrigno said at one point he threatened to phone police.
; F2 o1 [5 ^5 y
"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."
4 n1 t  V, ?9 A3 C( e8 n; k- M/ V
Terrigno 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.