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CTV 1/1/2010
, K7 S1 I9 n' w3 b" o0 U0 |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.; r& A: h" x; i! u2 n0 Q' r
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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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7 }9 T( y; g3 z; D2 ^; E; Z2 ZTerrigno said about half of the bill was for alcohol totalling $8,248, including dozens of shots of tequila and bottles of expensive wine and $1,000 champagne.3 M1 i8 d( u$ P- x$ L: b9 o( M
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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., S! z7 i, d4 M, E
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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.
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8 a2 i% C: A* t1 K% p+ wThe Oilers had lost by a score of 2-1 earlier in the night against the Calgary Flames.7 f% b6 W- A) V ?- g
5 o+ T: B5 v! s4 h% N; z1 IOilers spokesman Allan Watt said the restaurant was recommended by some Calgary friends of the players and they had a prearranged meal and menu./ S' U% z( M' r3 g9 i
1 T: K2 i* L: v. O"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.
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Terrigno said the group, which included team captain Ethan Moreau, attempted to negotiate a discount on the bill.1 s8 |3 D) R1 v4 y- `2 k
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He 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.0 e8 ?# _/ t8 S7 h( Q' ?
% D: l: L. C8 ^1 I' {The restaurant tried to charge for a bottle of an imported expensive brandy after one of the players took a swig straight from it.! k5 ^/ @( g. V
+ \$ o, ]# Z% e8 Z3 {! U' R"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.. k9 T! x9 {6 Y4 R- p
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Terrigno said at one point he threatened to phone police.) m4 ?1 [5 N7 D# g0 _
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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." a' q7 s' z3 W! M
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Terrigno said because he was infuriated by what happened he plans on donating the money the players paid the restaurant to charity. |
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