The Glasshouse Bistro in Queensland’s Montville has come under fire for charging a mother a cleaning fee after her son was sick on the restaurant floor.
According to Sunshine Coast Daily, the restaurant justified the $10 charge by arguing staff had to sterilise a cleaning mop and that the incident had cost them money because a section of the dining area was unavailable for a period of time.
"We thought at the time that our nominal charge of $10 was fair considering we had to allocate a staff member to clean up the mess to our satisfaction after they left – to make sure the area was properly sterilised,” a restaurant spokesperson said.
"The staff member who was designated to do that then had to sit outside because they felt ill afterwards.
"The cost to us was far greater than $10.”
The child’s mother, Rebecca Harnett, was shocked and angered by the charge and after receiving negative feedback online, the restaurant has since softened its approach.
“The Glasshouse Bistro wishes to apologise to Rebecca, Levi (Harnett’s son) and family for their recent experience at the Bistro. We are sorry for the discomfort and embarrassment caused by us,” the restaurant wrote on its Facebook page.
“If Rebecca is to contact us we are happy to refund the $10.
“We will not discuss or defend the decision we made at the time.
“Once again our sincere apologies to you.”