Bay Area restaurants institute penalties for brunch vomiters

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/6053496

There’s a reason we revere brunch. We look forward to unpacking the work week with friends over decadent egg dishes, syrup-laden pancakes and the requisite mimosa. We give ourselves permission to indulge in extra bacon and maybe even a second champagne cocktail as we reconnect and relax.

But nowhere in this happy place do you picture vomit.

Yet dealing with patrons who lose their brunch is a reality for Bay Area restaurants offering the popular perk of bottomless mimosas. Particularly since the pandemic, they’re finding that diners, often ones in their early to mid-20s, are drinking too much and vomiting in the bathrooms — or even right on their tables. The burden on servers and staff to clean up after these public pukers is reaching a fever pitch, making it necessary for restaurants to take precautions and even implement fees.

At Kitchen Story, the cheery Asian-inspired restaurant in Oakland’s Rockridge district known for its millionaire’s bacon, the bathroom sports a pointed sign: “Dear all mimosa lovers, Please drink responsibly and know your limits. 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 text is signed off with a smiling emoji.