CALGARY RESTAURANT OWNER FURIOUS AT OILERS OVER UNPAID TAB

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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.

4 J: x( h0 z! I3 s2 T. 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.
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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.

. I# a$ N5 k" ~# T- v" T! J' A"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.
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9 `3 S7 B9 |7 t6 b, _* DThe Oilers had lost by a score of 2-1 earlier in the night against the Calgary Flames.

0 ~5 m: B. C( Y2 jOilers spokesman Allan Watt said the restaurant was recommended by some Calgary friends of the players and they had a prearranged meal and menu.
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4 Z( @: e& U/ ?( i) H"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.
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"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."
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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.

7 }! \9 R$ e" k3 ^9 j& }, hHe 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.
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! T% `# y2 x3 jThe restaurant tried to charge for a bottle of an imported expensive brandy after one of the players took a swig straight from it.

( ^% q" H& R# g"They refused to pay for the whole bottle because they didn't consume the whole bottle," said Terrigno.
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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.
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"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."
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( D5 K; o* _2 r& f+ PTerrigno 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.