A closure sign has gone viral after a restaurant shut its doors early due to “rude” and “cocky” diners.
The manager of East Park Tavern, in Charlevoix, Michigan, put up the sign after customers abused her hard-working waiting staff.
Larah Moore said the “rowdy” tourists, known as “Fudgies” in Michigan, had come into the city for the annual Venetian festival.
She took the drastic decision to close her kitchen early on Saturday after her staff were bombarded by rude comments.
The manager hung a sign at the front of the host stand which said: “Due to mistreatment of our servers our kitchen is closed.”
Writing on Facebook she added: “I've worked in downtown Charlevoix most of my adult life during Venetian. It's usually great, busy, but fun and worthwhile.
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“I'm so incredibly disappointed and embarrassed by the Fudgies we have this year.
“My staff took a BEATING all week. Last night was our last straw. Too many rude comments. Too many arrogant individuals acting like they can throw money at us to get their way. Too many cocky jerks.
“No one gets to treat my staff like trash.”
Larah said that if people push waiting staff, they will push back.
She added: “We are not here to be abused. We will not tolerate that anymore.”
Larah told NBC’s Today programme: “It was just a week of my staff working doubles. So that’s 11am to 10pm.
“And just being beaten down every day by the amount of people that were coming in, plus just the disrespect people were giving to them.”
She said one party that came into the restaurant bypassed servers and seized two tables, despite being told there was a 30-minute wait for a table.
Larah’s Facebook post about the closure has gone viral, sparking a mixed reaction from social media users.
Some sympathised with her plight, while others accused her of being lazy.
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One supportive comment said: “We have had a really difficult tourist season here, too.
“People have just been a whole different breed this year! It’s insane.”
Another added: “I’m so sorry. In 2016 I had my last fill of Venetian crowds and a**h****. I can’t do it anymore.
“I have watched them get more and more entitled and rude as the years have gone on.”
