Belligerent customer’s tactics traumatized young wait staff
Owner speaking out to illustrate industry woes
A Kelowna restaurant owner says she felt calm but terrified as she asked an abusive woman who refused to wear a mask to leave the business.
Christina Skinner had to intervene last month after the woman berated a young staffer over the mandatory mask policy and denounced COVID-19 as a conspiracy.
“I tried to stay as calm as I could, but I was terrified,” Skinner said Monday in going public with the ordeal.
“It was an awful experience, but unfortunately one that isn’t all that rare,” Skinner, owner of the Frankie We Salute You! restaurant at 1717 Harvey Ave.
Skinner says she decided to speak out about the unsettling incident in midDecember to try draw public attention to the difficult situation she says restaurant owners are in because of the mandatory mask order.
“I support the public health orders 110%,” Skinner said. “But confrontations like this one are almost a weekly occurrence. They’re causing an unbelievable amount of upset during what is already a very stressful time for the restaurant industry. My staff is really my primary concern. Because of incidents like this, they’re suffering burn-out, anxiety, and depression.
“They’re wondering if they want to work in this industry anymore.”
During the December incident, the customer arrived without a mask, but took one that was offered by staff.
Once seated at the bar, however, the woman started yelling that COVID-19 is a conspiracy and that contact tracing was a violation of her rights.
When Skinner intervened and asked her to leave, the woman started recording their interaction and subsequently posted it online.
As the woman was leaving the restaurant, she yelled that she hoped Skinner would die of COVID-19, and that the business failed.
Skinner, who opened the restaurant in May 2019, said about 10% of customers make a point of thanking staff for working during the pandemic, and 85% comply with the mask requirement and other COVID-19 protocols without comment.
“But about 5% are simply awful,” she said. “They’re disruptive, argumentative and unkind to our young wait staff. They’re the ones who really wear you down.”
Skinner said similar unpleasant encounters are increasingly common in the industry. But she said many business owners are reluctant to talk about it.
“I think restaurant owners are just deciding not to speak up about this,” she said. “They don’t want to rock the boat because they’re afraid of losing customers.”
Skinner hopes members of the public understand businesses have no choice but to ask customers to comply with public health measures.
“Since this happened, we’ve had a ton of support,” Skinner said. “Like a lot of businesses right now, restaurants really need help from the community.”
Across the province, 430 new cases of COVID-19 were reported between Sunday and Monday. There are now 5,232 active cases in B.C. There have been 58,107 since the pandemic began.
A total of 362 people are hospitalized, 72 are in critical care.
Confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic total 1,010 while 50,529 people having recovered.
Two people have died in the Interior Health region from COVID-19.
Interior Health reports one death each at Heritage Square in Vernon and McKinney Place in Oliver over the weekend.
“We are sad to report that over the weekend we had two more COVID-related deaths connected to long-term care,” said IH president and CEO Susan Brown in a statement. “Unfortunately, this brings the total number of people who have succumbed to COVID-19 to 40 and our condolences go to their loved ones and caregivers.
“We continue to see COVID-19 in communities all across Interior Health and everyone needs to remain vigilant in following precautions to minimize the spread of this virus.”
IH is monitoring 10 outbreaks in the region, most at seniors homes.
Mountainview Village in Kelowna currently has 16 cases of COVID-19 — eight residents and eight staff. Two people have died.
Heritage Retirement Residence in West Kelowna has 42 COVID cases — 37 residents and five staff. Two people have died.
Noric House in Vernon has had 32 cases — 24 residents and eight staff.
Creekside Landing in Vernon has had 15 cases — 10 residents and five staff.
Across the province, 430 new cases of COVID-19 were reported between Sunday and Monday.
There are now 5,232 active cases in B.C. There have been 58,107 cases since the pandemic began.
A total of 362 people are hospitalized, with 72 in critical care.
Confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic total 1,010 while 50,529 people have recovered.
Interior Health has had 4,704 cases since the start of the pandemic and reported 81 new cases on Monday, with 36 people hospitalized and nine in critical care.