SLO BAR Cafe decided to kick out the group of 10 students who ordered just two drinks but occupied three tables
SLO BAR Cafe in Bacolod, Philippines found itself at the center of attention after posting on Instagram to address a situation involving a group of 10 students.
Despite purchasing only two drinks, the group occupied three tables, leading the cafe to explain their decision to ask them to leave to make space for other customers to enjoy their food and drinks.
The group of 10 left many negative reviews for SLO BAR online
Following the leaving request of the Cafe, a wave of negative reviews was aimed at SLO BAR Cafe through various online platforms.
The group of students alleged that the cafe had abruptly closed its doors without prior notice, as evidenced by recirculated screenshots.
These allegations further fueled the ongoing debate surrounding the incident and generated additional attention to the cafe's handling of the situation.
In an Instagram post, SLO BAR Cafe posed the explanation article with a beginning question, "How do we approach non-paying customers (mostly students) who want to be seated?"
The cafe acknowledged that these customers often desire to occupy the space without making any purchases, using it solely for leisure activities such as shooting their content.
"We know that they only want to hang out for free and shoot their content, but to what extent must we share our space to please these guests?
"It pains us to get a mob of bad Google reviews from 10 unsatisfied kids saying that our staff was rude and that our food was bad when they occupied three tables and only got two drinks.
“We do not wish to engage but these things will happen again so it may be better to confront them when we can,” SLO BAR Cafe wrote.
Additionally, the Instagram post mentioned that SLO BAR Cafe's lead barista, along with two other workers who are also students, were making dedicated efforts to work hard and maintain the cafe's positive atmosphere.
The post expressed trust in the lead barista's actions, emphasizing that they consistently acted based on instinct and respect.
SLO BAR Cafe raised the question of whether the customers who left negative reviews understood the potential harm it could cause to the business.
The cafe pointed out that other small cafes would likely empathize with their stance, “Other small cafes would understand. "It is basic etiquette for any place to reserve their limited space for paying customers."
Instagram users flooded the post's comment section with supportive responses, aligning with SLO BAR Cafe's decision and viewpoint.
The customer is NOT always right and has all the right to judge someone. These students are proof of that, who lack basic etiquette and reek of entitlement, one user insisted.
You should report these reviews to Google for 'bullying/harassment'. You do not deserve this bad incident, the second said.
I'm wondering what would these students' parents think about their children's behavior, someone wrote.
However, not everyone supported the cafe's actions.
John Nikko Danao, the owner of Noon Cafe, expressed a different perspective, stating that they cannot compel every customer to make a purchase.
Mikaela Cortez from Sibs Cafe provided a different perspective, stating that non-paying customers are still considered customers.
Cortez mentioned that even if they only purchase two drinks, their presence can potentially attract more customers in the future.
