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CTV 1/1/2010
0 u+ N3 M9 \! a s1 q" K; rCALGARY -- 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.6 p+ [! L! o4 V5 Q! ?4 J
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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 $12,381.45.! m& z' H. X6 Q: j
) I) A2 Q* e$ Y% i4 e" iTerrigno said about half of the bill was for alcohol totalling $8,248, including dozens of shots of tequila and bottles of expensive wine and $1,000 champagne.
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' B7 e& s2 y e& t1 K"These guys came in, they enjoyed our hospitality and when the bill came ... they went ballistic to the point where they started threatening, denigrating my staff, saying, `We're the Edmonton Oilers, we expect a 50 per cent discount,' " said Terrigno.1 }4 D( F) t: ^$ J! c: [* t* P
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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 $16,796.39.
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The Oilers had lost by a score of 2-1 earlier in the night against the Calgary Flames.5 n$ e; F+ l. l
% {, c0 N6 _$ `7 HOilers 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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U7 U1 }7 g/ T4 e* m"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.; x A6 W% ]( x6 O% g
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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."/ H' d! f8 D3 _
2 n. w9 `1 f( Z; L6 A0 X I4 GWatt said the players paid the adjusted bill and added a $1,900 tip and left the restaurant.- I' {3 F3 T3 r$ l& m
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Terrigno said the group, which included team captain Ethan Moreau, attempted to negotiate a discount on the bill.
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, M+ W) W2 c0 N3 wHe 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.! n; \7 r s4 ?2 Y5 V B1 J) o
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The restaurant tried to charge for a bottle of an imported expensive brandy after one of the players took a swig straight from it.
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"They refused to pay for the whole bottle because they didn't consume the whole bottle," said Terrigno." {# i3 H2 {* [- }5 N8 X( K6 f/ H3 g
- f( K% l( r4 k, g+ |2 GHe said there's no way the restaurant will serve other clients from the same bottle.
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Terrigno said at one point he threatened to phone police.( I- K7 z. K: B( ?% s
/ u! v4 `8 k; i' [0 ~7 R2 H+ I"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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8 F$ W2 D3 E" m9 ITerrigno 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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