MINOT, N.D. – A restaurant has divided opinion for introducing a rule that will ban any customer from eating if they smell of weed.
Despite weed being legal in Michigan for people over the age of 21, steakhouse Caucus Club in Detroit doesn’t want people high-on-life sitting down at their tables.
The restaurant has also asked people to dress appropriately for their eatery.
Writing on Facebook, Caucus Club said: “Seriously people, hoodies and jerseys are not business attire. Neither are ball caps, and sneakers. Most importantly, if you smell like marijuana don’t even think of stepping inside the Caucus Club.”
It added that business casual was the minimum dress attire permitted in the restaurant and warned people against having ‘strong’ odours.
It seems like opinion was divided on the rule, with some backing it and others saying it wasn’t fair to refuse entry to people for what they do outside.
One supporter said: “I know it’s not a popular stance, but I for one am hypersensitive to strong smells like marijuana, cigarettes, and cigars. I literally have a physical reaction to them.”
Another added: “I totally agree with you..that smell…is disgusting and you shouldn’t go to any establishment smelling like that or your job. Just because it’s legal.. you don’t have to flaunt it…and the dress code…it’s not cool…dress for the occasion.”
But loads of people reckon it could be thinly veiled racism, with one person writing: “Lol don’t smell like weed is this a joke? and could have left it at business attire cause we all know what the description sounds like or is trying to say lol.”
Another added: “Just come out and say what kind of people you don’t want at your restaurant, no need to tip toe around what you really mean.”
Caucus Club owner George Sboukis has defended the decision and said people’s attitudes towards dining out had been weakened because of the pandemic.
He told Fox5 that his place is a classy establishment and customers need to treat it that way.
“It was a reminder with a little bit of sauce just to get people’s attention. I don’t mean any harm by it,” Sboukis said.
“We’ve had people celebrating their 50th (anniversary) last week, the week before that. They’re getting dressed up, they’re putting on an evening gown, their earrings, their best suit. They’re coming out to celebrate and they expect to be surrounded by like-minded guests.”
He also hit back against allegations that his post was in any way, shape or form racist.
“I’m really offended by that both personally and as a citizen. For starters to try and insinuate that any group of people is incapable of following a code, is in itself a racist statement,” he said.
“If you scroll through the social media, you’ll also notice a big hole in my family — my adopted son died two years ago this May. He was 21. He’d be 23 now, and he died in a car accident. He was African and Greek descent, and he was, that’s my family.”
A man has died from an allergic reaction after eating hummus at an Australian restaurant.
Nathan Anderson joked about his allergies when he arrived at the Samaras Lebanese and Mediterranean Restaurant in Wollongong back in 2017.
The server said they would be able to accomodate Anderson’s dietary requirements, which prevented him from eating anything with peanuts, shellfish, eggs and sesame seeds.
The NSW Supreme Court heard the server, who is also the restaurant owner’s daughter, didn’t pass on all those requirements to the kitchen staff.
While she stopped sesame seeds from being included on the rest of the food, she forgot hummus contained sesame seed paste or tahini and served Anderson a plate of it for his entree.
The victim described feeling discomfort after a few bites and decided to get up and go to his accomodation to get his epipen.
He didn’t make it more than 150 metres from the restaurant before he collapsed and died. Paramedics were called, however they were unable to stop the allergic reaction in time.
During the investigation, the restaurant claimed it was fully booked the night of the incident and the server was not only pregnant but also was sick.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that none of those excuses mitigates the restaurant’s requirement to keep customer’s allergies as a top priority.
Justice Clifton Hoeben took issue with the eatery’s informal allergen procedure and said staff didn’t have a proper plan for dealing with allergen and food safety management.
He did note the restaurant’s policy had been effective up until this incident.
The server also issued an emotional apology during the trial.
“I will never be apologetic enough for the stupid mistake I made that night,” she told the court.
“Finding out about the passing of Anderson would have to have been one of the worst and definitely the hardest moments of my life.”
The court also heard Anderson did not follow the advice for dealing with an allergic reaction, which is to stay seated and remain calm.
An allergy expert said: “Sadly (the deceased’s) own actions (standing up, walking fast in an attempt to secure an epi-pen that he didn’t carry), aggravated the reactions’ severity.”
The restaurant was fined $105,000 and ordered to pay the prosecutor’s costs, as well as ensure all staff receive better training over revised allergy procedures.
