CALGARY RESTAURANT OWNER FURIOUS AT OILERS OVER UNPAID TAB

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CTV 1/1/2010
: w% C* j/ [: `  t  t" O! k% |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.
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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.
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! R% r( m8 \7 u& {9 i( rTerrigno 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.
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"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.
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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.
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5 |- z* z! h$ F3 s# ]5 a) ]"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."

Watt said the players paid the adjusted bill and added a $1,900 tip and left the restaurant.
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4 }* Y5 C  W( v3 h, a' d6 QTerrigno said the group, which included team captain Ethan Moreau, attempted to negotiate a discount on the bill.

* t; I' S: T* R( ZHe 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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  I6 H8 T  G4 E0 PThe restaurant tried to charge for a bottle of an imported expensive brandy after one of the players took a swig straight from it.

" |  V0 z3 t4 m* _* D3 U"They refused to pay for the whole bottle because they didn't consume the whole bottle," said Terrigno.

6 s6 Z6 ?* B6 oHe said there's no way the restaurant will serve other clients from the same bottle.
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) T' A8 I& U& J6 t* Q+ ^( r$ eTerrigno said at one point he threatened to phone police.
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: ?" Q9 T7 \3 d"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."

3 |6 e: e$ u6 YTerrigno 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.