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.

: e% B) T8 r; K& b1 n- s( bMaurizio 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.
# ~' Y7 K) }9 _" M/ v  y% A. L
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 $1,000 champagne.
" g' m/ `* U$ M0 A% Y- B# |
"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.

8 @& J+ _! f, ?/ pTerrigno 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.
* Z7 |# B+ @7 o; u% z
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.
0 j4 r% d( M: f
. d: A# H4 N/ j! Z"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.
9 F9 D6 ]9 J/ C9 X3 B
% J# _: X' M8 B8 G( p# b: @2 _"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 $1,900 tip and left the restaurant.
3 L8 o6 @# F6 F4 H# v8 I0 z
Terrigno said the group, which included team captain Ethan Moreau, attempted to negotiate a discount on the bill.
7 z! ^$ f3 W2 x5 S" w) A4 p% f
0 S6 ]* r" M% t- A7 y% W; DHe 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.
2 f9 ]: v3 m- K2 ^, @' t
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.

+ `8 E; A1 K- l, [, L8 OHe 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.
3 ?: Q& z1 \: j. d5 [
# O5 a. `6 l  P3 m& l. b3 g$ L6 t"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."
* Q+ g7 P' c; r( S( ^/ Y
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.