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.

5 B/ y' e2 e$ r0 u+ gMaurizio 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 ?4 d3 m' B* Y! T1 e# b0 N( D) E: u! s
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.
: R# }! P7 n8 Y* ]' V/ v& N
6 h; G0 u7 Y2 D2 d"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.

) I: D$ ]+ K, X' C" e: Q3 u% s* }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.
* W6 c- l" |( J' g# q, u
"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.
# i$ a1 k3 ?7 ~  |; Z' s4 r
, l8 G9 K" W) r; k"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."
9 Q9 x. [; l" I2 H% j3 p( G0 N
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.
( t7 I% @" M' R* P" ?
) C, T9 L1 w+ G9 x' rHe 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.
' M2 H0 _3 g0 K: L+ `
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.
* c& ^- _  h5 l
He said there's no way the restaurant will serve other clients from the same bottle.
1 x$ z' h( R0 C0 B
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."
* g5 v4 _4 |7 a
# M# l: c+ h( X* W5 p! f$ tTerrigno 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.