The Customer Is Always Right? Not at Bobcat Bonnie's.

As the saying goes, the customer is always right, right? But one local restaurant is challenging that philosophy all in the name of defending and protecting their employees.

Bobcat Bonnie's in Detroit recently made a Facebook post announcing that they would no longer tolerate customers who are rude to their serving staff. The post, made by the owner, read,

Hey friends it’s Matt the owner. We’ve been experiencing a high volume of insanely disrespectful behavior and we want to address it head on. We have built our concept on the foundation of being approachable, and accepting to everyone (if you read any interviews I’ve done, we literally wanted to be the place you could go with your vegan friend, your picky eater friend, your meat eater friend, your grandma, or with your kids.) We are designed and have always cultivated and made it a priority to be a place for EVERYONE to enjoy. I am letting you that we will no longer serve, or do business with people who swear at us, harass us, or refuse to follow some simple instructions mandated to us. My staff work hard, and tirelessly, they don’t need to hear your thoughts on mask protections, and they don’t need to be called names because YOU refuse to follow some simple instructions.

In a time where most restaurants are desperate for business this is a bold move. And I'm willing to admit that because of my history of working in the service industry it's a move that I can, without question, get behind.

I worked as a server and bartender for years. I have been cursed at, screamed at, harassed, and called derogatory names due to things that were out of my control. I've witnessed a woman reduce a pregnant hostess to tears over having to wear a mask. A decision that was not hers and yet part of her job to enforce.

It's unfortunate that people feel like they can treat those in the service industry with such disdain but its even more unfortunate when owners and managers do nothing about it. To see one making a public stand against that kind of behavior is refreshing to say the least.

While some have vowed to never dine at Bobcat Bonnie's again and have taken time to wish them failure, most comments from the community seem to be in support of their decision. In fact, based on their Facebook comments alone, it sounds like Bobcat Bonnie's business will be better than ever.