The owner of a Philadelphia burger joint has taken to Facebook to defend his decision to post a receipt showing a 20-cent tip left by Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, saying he stands by his actions 'one hundred percent.'
Tommy Up, the outspoken owner of PYT, said he takes 'total and complete responsibility' for the decision, which was criticized by some, including model Chrissy Teigen, who called for a boycott of the restaurant known for crazy creations like the buffalo chicken donut burger.
'For starters, I take total and complete responsibility for sharing this receipt,' Up posted on PYT's Facebook page. 'It was not our server's decision, it was mine. I am to blame.'
'At the end of the day, I did what I felt my heart told me to do.'
- Tommy Up, owner, PYT
Up said he posted the receipt after 'serious thought' and stopped short of apologizing to the mercurial running back who, according to owner, received impeccable service alongside three of his friends.
'If anything, our server was a little nervous as was our food runner, because they are big, big fans,' Up's post continued. 'He and his group, from the moment they sat down, were verbally abusive to our staff in the most insulting ways. The derogatory statements about women and their sheer contempt for the staff serving them wasn't the end, however.'
McCoy, for his part, has remained largely mum on the matter. He succinctly told a Philadelphia Daily News reporter his thoughts when asked late Monday.
'It's bull----, man,' McCoy reportedly replied, declining to elaborate.
Server Rob Knelly had his 'head bowed' and a very confused look on his face when he saw that McCoy, who signed a 5-year, $45 million contract extension in 2012, left just 20 cents as gratuity on a $61.56 check.
'Twenty cents that our server has to split with the food runner and the bartender,' Up wrote. 'Two dimes from an insulting multimillionaire.'
Up acknowledged that 'everyone has their bad days,' but cited other Philadelphia sports personalities he's come into contact with who have treated others with respect, including former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski and 76ers guard Allen Iverson.
'At the end of the day, I did what I felt my heart told me to do,' Up continued. 'And I don't want anything from Mr. McCoy, but ... maybe an apology to his server who gave him excellent service would be cool.'
Neither McCoy nor his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, could be reached for comment.
Michael Lynn, a professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and a nationally recognized expert on tipping, said customers have a legal right not to leave a gratuity, but that it violates a social contract in which servers have an expectation of being paid for their efforts.
'Unless there's a really egregious problem, you should be tipping,' said Lynn.
But he did not spare Up from criticism, for publicly shaming a customer.
'Behavior in a restaurant is public, so as long as he was presenting truthful information he may be within his rights,' Lynn said. 'But is it good business practice? No. No one wants to go to a restaurant that humiliates its customers.'
FoxNews.com's Joshua Rhett Miller contributed to this report
Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
0 comments "Philly burger joint owner defends decision to post McCoy's receipt"
Post a Comment