The owner of a famous Greek restaurant in Mykonos has been accused of swindling tourists with heart-wrenching bills. He called the people who complained “influencers looking for food on the avant-garde”, reports “Daily Mail”.
Dimitrios Kalamaras, owner of DK Oyster in Mykonos, has hit back at a couple who this week said they were hit with a staggering €400 bill for a beer, two Aperol Spritz cocktails and a serving of oysters .
Canadian newlyweds Lindsay Breen and her husband Alex, both in their 30s, claim restaurant staff did not give them a drink menu with prices before handing over the huge sum.
Kalamaros finally broke his silence and called Lindsey “a woman who wants to put an advertisement on the back of the restaurant. Although the restaurant’s Tripadvisor page was flooded with one-star reviews and other customers who claimed to have similar attitude as Lindsey and Alex, the owner was not moved. Currently, 337 have rated the restaurant as “excellent” while 611 have rated it as “terrible”.
Dimitrios claimed that after “dozens” of similar “false” claims on TripAdvisor, which stated that staff at the restaurant refused to provide a menu with prices on it, he decided to put up three black boards at the entrance displaying them.
He also believes that customers could ask for a manager to be called to discuss the price with them before ordering. Still, it would be “ridiculous” for him to explain the menu to every customer who walks in.
Dimitrios added that “no adult in their right mind” would order a drink without first seeing how much it costs, and that he had no intention of explaining why they charge more than a supermarket or a traditional tavern. He also claimed that the “concept” of his restaurant is completely different.
“Unfortunately, all of us who work in the hospitality and restaurant industry are also incredibly connected to influencers who, instead of making a living by promoting products and services to their audience, are deliberately smearing exemplary restaurants.”
“This woman who is trying to get famous by posting on Instagram under the name Lindsay Breen is lying. She claims she repeatedly asked for a cocktail menu and adds that the waiter didn’t seem willing to provide one. However, she does order. An influencer, a seasoned traveler who supposedly makes a living from his world experiences, did what most sane adults wouldn’t do – ordered drinks and food from a waiter who refused to present a menu.”
“This false claim has been used so much against our restaurant by dozens of anonymous users on Trip Advisor that we decided to place three huge blackboards at the entrance of the restaurant displaying the menu and prices.”
“That way, our guests will at least have an idea of our price range to make sure they’ve checked the menu carefully before ordering. A person who feels they’ve been denied the right to look at the menu can just leave or ask to speak to the manager.”
“Whenever I received such a complaint, always from anonymous users via Trip Advisor, I consulted with staff, reminding them that it is critical to our reputation to make sure that procedures are carefully followed. And there’s no way to be sure, that anonymous comments are from real users.”
“Unfortunately, there are people on Tripadvisor who openly encourage in their comments to come to us – eat and drink as much as they want and then leave without paying. We have been burned many times by such customers.”
“I believe that in our restaurant the concept is unique and the service is at a very high level. The cuisine is very tasty, the view is beautiful. I don’t intend to explain every time why we offer high prices. If someone finds it expensive here – they can easily get up and leave after looking at the menu.”
However, here is what the Tripadvisor platform recommends:
“The reviews of this restaurant speak for themselves. We urge travelers to refer to Tripadvisor when making plans at home or abroad. A first-hand account of a traveller’s experience of a place is an invaluable insight into what to expect there . The stories from consumers who have been to this restaurant are appalling and we feel for anyone who has had an unpleasant experience there.”
We also present you some comments from Tripadvisor:
“Absolute worst place! They charged me 600 euros for a drink and a portion of oysters. They are complete scammers! I hope the owner’s children die of cancer!”
“They charged me 800 euros for 12 oysters and 3 cokes, I don’t even like oysters but the lady made me buy them, never again. I also wish she only eats McDonald’s chicken nuggets from now on.”
“The staff were rude, had to wait at least an hour for my order. The staff were not responsive at all. The prices were misleading and any kind of inquiry was met with rudeness and eye rolls. People like this should not be running restaurants.”
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