Man kicked out of buffet for eating too much? Discrimination?

'Hearty Eater' Says Buffet Banned Him

5 hours ago

HOUMA, La. — A 6-foot-3, 265-pound man says a restaurant overcharged him for his trips to the buffet line, then banned him and a relative because they're hearty eaters. A spokesman for the restaurant denies the claim.

Ricky Labit, a disabled offshore worker, said he had been a regular for eight months at the Manchuria Restaurant in Houma, eating there as often as three times a week.

On his most recent visit, he said, a waitress gave him and his wife's cousin, 44-year-old Michael Borrelli, a bill for $46.40, roughly double the buffet price for two adults.

"She says, 'Y'all fat, and y'all eat too much,'" Labit said.

Labit and Borrelli said they felt discriminated against because of their size. "I was stunned, that somebody would say something like that. I ain't that fat, I only weigh 277," Borrelli said, adding that a waitress told him he looked like he a had a "baby in the belly."

Houma accountant Thomas Campo said the men were charged an extra $10 each on Dec. 21 because they made a habit of dining exclusively on the more expensive seafood dishes, including crab legs and frog legs.

"We have a lot of big people there," said Campo, who spoke for owner Li Shang, whose English is limited. "We don't discriminate."

Labit denied ever being told he would be asked to pay more than the standard adult price.

The argument grew heated, and police were called.

The police report states, "The incident was settled when the management advised that the bill was a mistake and, to appease Ricky, the meal was complimentary."

Labit said he insisted on paying but was told not to come back. He complained that when seafood on the buffet line runs out, the restaurant only grudgingly cooks more.

Campo said the proprietress tries to reduce waste of quality food, he said.

"Food is for eating, not toys for your child," reads a sign posted on a wall in typewritten text. A handwritten addition reads "Or 20% added.

My mom's cousins were politely asked to leave a buffet back in the late 1960s.  One was 6'7" and one 6'8" (non-obese) and both Navy men with appetites to match. Kathy

Heh! My husband's Navy buddy was asked to leave an all-you-can-eat McDonalds in the 1990s after he ate the entire menu and then went back for more. That boy could pack the food away and not gain a pound! What is it with Navy boys and their appetites?

Sorry but I dont think going to a all you can eat 3 times a week and eating them out of house and home is right either.  Sure the sign says all you can eat, but do you really want the resturant you like to go out of business cause you cant be ok with an up charge for gorging. People dont go into the resturant to feed people they go in to make a living too... to take advantage isnt ok. 

Every once in a while, there's a similar story from a different part of the country about this kind of thing happening.  I think the problem is a little bit on both sides of the coin - a management issue, workers/owners not on the same page with what 'buffet' eating means, and then some Americans who treat a buffet like a trough and let their kids pile food on plates that they don't end up eating.  Neither scenario is better or worse than the other.  Sounds like this was probably the business' problem in this particular case, if they don't want people depleting the seafood due to cost, they should charge more and seperate the seafood from everything else that's available or shut up and bear the loss.  Other buffet-style places do it that way - you pay extra to enjoy the seafood, you get a wristband or a tray marker that tells the person staffing the seafood island that you've paid to take from there - the restaurant recoups their investment, the diner gets what they like or they're free to choose differently from the other things included in the standard price.   If you look a little more into the article - it sounds like a fat discrimination case, but I think it's more about them being mad that customers would (duh!) take more of the good stuff, and the staff went  the not-uber-smart route because that's probably the only way they knew to explain it, with some language issues thrown into the mix for good measure. 

Missy, WOW- this seems so unfair, however I can relate! My husband and I used to frequent a restaurant on the eastside of Indy long before my WLS! I loved it, after I had surgery we still went there and they took the WLS restaurant card- great! Then suddenly after I had lost the majority of my weight, mind you the waitress knew us, although I think some of the employees doubted my surgery- we went again, I was given the discounted price before going to the bar, after returning from the bar the OWNER went to the waitress and said something to her, then she came to the table and said to me, I am sorry we cannot offer you the discounted price because all you are getting is the crablegs- hello- that is all I had been getting for some time, I didn't want the fried food and all of the chinese other food options or any other choice for that fact! I normally ate 2 plates of crablegs and that was i****er to drink! I don't go back there anymore and miss the crablegs- but ~13.00 for me to eat what little I was getting was crazy, especially after being a regular and having had other meetings with fellow OHers there as well! It didn't set good with me. I know some don't agree with using the cards, this is just my opinion! Hugz Dawn

Our Ryans told me that they will no longer accept my card from St. V's and I can only get 3 oz of food in maximum at a time sooo therefore we just chose to no longer go there. I refuse to pay 9.00 at a buffett when I'm not getting a drink (the drink is included) and I'm not even eating the amount that a 3 year old would eat (who eats free). I'm not wanting to eat free but a kids price would be nice.. Anyways it doesn't matter now because we don't really go out to eat much anyways but we know where NOT to go around here. It's sad because the hospital here in Seymour is starting to do bariatric surgery now and very few places around here accept it.

Sorry but I have to laugh at this one!!! I don't remember which one but there used to be a comedian who as a part of his act did a chinese buffet thing.  It went something like " you been here 2 hour.... you go home now!" Can't blame them really.  Our buffet charges more if  you eat the seafood.  They do have to make a buck : )

I think that is John Pinette...that bit was so funny! ETA:  wait, wait...I found it on youtube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdwuiyO7hOU&feature=related

There is another side also, what about the people that pay $13.00 (or whatever) for a buffet, but one plate fills them up. Years ago, when I was skinny (and I will be again ) I could only eat a small plate of food and never got my money's worth. So for every "hearty eater" there is a "small eater".