Featured Image Credit: Yelp
Topics: Food and Drink, US News, Money, Health
Emily Brown
Customers who drink too at a restaurant in California will have to pay for it with more than a hangover as owners have introduced a 'vomit fee'.
Let's be honest: brunch is just breakfast where it's more acceptable to drink.
You're edging that little bit closer to noon, and the concept of clinking champagne glasses while tucking into your bacon and eggs seems entirely reasonable.
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However, the excitement of having an excuse to drink early can tempt you into getting a bit too carried away, and that only became more of a risk with the rise of bottomless brunches.
One restaurant offering up the opportunity for a late-morning buzz is Kitchen Story in Oakland, California, which has noticed that while loads of people love the idea of a bottomless brunch, some just can't handle the reality of it.
Customers can get their hands on bottomless mimosas for 60 minutes at the restaurant, but in an effort to keep the brunches from becoming too much of a messy affair, owners decided to put up a sign in its bathroom warning people of the consequences if they have one too many.
“Dear all mimosa lovers, Please drink responsibly and know your limits," it begins, before going on to reveal that throwing up will cost you.
"A $50 cleaning fees will automatically include in your tap when you throw up in our public areas. Thank you so much for understanding.”
The ruthlessness of the message is eased with a smiling emoji at the end, just so the owners don't seem too mean.
The decision to put up the sign came from restaurateur Steven Choi, after his general manager spotted similar signs in other bars.
Speaking to SFGATE about the issues with people throwing up their brunches, Choi said: “This was still during the pandemic and it became a very sensitive issue for customers and staff having to clean up.
"But this is not unique. It’s there to make the customers stop and think about other people.”
Chaiporn Kitsadaviseksak, the co-owner of Kitchen Story, revealed that the sign has actually proved successful.
Before it was installed, people being sick was 'happening a lot'.
Now, customers 'know they have to pay'. As a result, the staff have thankfully not had to charge anyone for vomiting in its public spaces.
Kitsadaviseksak went on to acknowledge that the issue of intoxication depends on how fast people drink, which is different for everyone.
However, he's credited training from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which discusses how to responsibly serve alcoholic beverages, with helping staff recognize when customers have had a little too much.
“Some people enjoy and have fun and speak so loud and try to party on the table,” he said. “They get so happy and drunk they can’t control it.”
With the sign and the training in their corner, staff can now focus more on ensuring their customers have a good time, rather than worrying about having to clean up after them.