I came for lunch with my cat, who is perfectly clean, calm, and well-behaved--as she always is in…read moreother restaurants where she's warmly welcomed. But that didn't stop the staff from interrupting me several times, and in a very curt tone:
First, they told me I wasn't allowed to let her walk around, under the pretext that someone might be allergic. The only people in the room--two customers--were petting her, clearly not allergic. So what were they allergic to? Her mere presence?
Then, a server abruptly insisted that she wasn't allowed to eat on my table, citing so-called hygiene regulations. My cat was simply seated next to my plate, bothering absolutely no one--except the staff, who clearly lacked both common sense and empathy. There were no other customers in the room at the time, so where exactly was the hygiene issue? Since I don't mind her eating next to my plate, why should anyone else?
I felt so unwelcome and judged for having my pet with me, and for wanting to enjoy a meal next to her--as we do every day at home and in many other restaurants--that I lost my appetite entirely. I asked for the check.
I left feeling humiliated and treated like some kind of outcast.
To top it all off, the manager doubled down instead of showing the slightest understanding. He coldly explained that five restaurants in the area had been shut down for hygiene issues, as though cats were to blame and as if we had come to contaminate the place.
If the hygiene rules are supposedly so strict, why allow me in with my cat in the first place? You don't want my cat, but you clearly want my money. Hypocrisy at its finest.
For the record, my cat was clearly visible in her carrier bag when I walked in. If her presence was a problem, they could have simply told me at the door and refused me as a customer. That would have been honest, and I would've gone elsewhere. But no--they seated me, took my order, and only then decided to make an issue out of it. Apparently, my money is welcome, but my cat is not.
In short: a cold, rigid reception, rules enforced without logic, and a complete inability to treat customers as human beings who deserve to enjoy a peaceful meal with the beings they love.
I will never set foot in this place again, and I strongly discourage anyone who values respect and kindness from going either.