Red Sweater, Red Flag, Same Difference

I serve, bartend, and manage at a small family restaurant. Last night, I was managing. Before my general manager left, she pointed out a woman at the bar with a red sweater.

General Manager: “If that woman is disrespectful one more time, kick her out.”

Not five minutes later, Red Sweater Lady snapped at my nineteen-year-old bartender.

Me: *Calmly* “Ma’am, please be respectful to the staff.”

Red Sweater Lady: “Put your head between your legs. I pay all of your salaries.”

Like, ma’am, bartenders make $5 an hour — not nearly enough to put up with your abuse.

Essentially, she was mad that her order was taking forever. It was twenty-six minutes; the kitchen was slammed with to-go orders because it was a Friday night.

It was obvious that this lady had the thought process of an adolescent and a ton of entitlement. I told the other bartender to print the lady’s tab; she was getting kicked out. I told the kitchen to put her food in to-go boxes, and then I brought it back to the bar where she was continuing to argue with the bartenders.

Finally, I just picked up the phone and called the police. While the line was ringing, she finally stood up, talking s*** all the way out the door. It was probably a fifteen-minute ordeal from beginning to end trying to get this lady to leave. As she was leaving, I let her know she was banned and not to come back.

Later in the night, our regulars who work at a restaurant down the street let us know she’d also been banned from there.

I kept our general manager in the loop as everything was happening, and she told our owner. [Owner] fully supports my decision to ban the Red Sweater Lady. I shouldn’t have to call the police to get someone to leave, and we certainly don’t tolerate verbal abuse of staff or guests. [General Manager] literally texted me, “Ban her a**!”, when I told her I was calling the police to get the lady to leave.