Kitchener pub takes customer complaint public

A local family-owned pub has been getting a lot of attention on social media after it posted a sign in front of its business shaming one of its customers after a less-than-ideal review.

Many believed the sign was intended as online bullying.

Executive Chef at Gastropub No. 29 in Kitchener, Liam MacDonald, says he felt his staff was being attacked.

“We don’t want to be publicly shamed with words like ‘a joke’ and calling a young woman ‘a clown,’ I don’t think that’s fair.”

So the part-owner responded to the Facebook review by adding his own special touch… a chalk sign in front of his pub reading “Come in and experience the worst service Matthew Seabrook has ever had.”

He also posted a photo on the pub’s Facebook page, which exploded with comments from local customers, most of them negative.

“My intentions, of course, when I put the sign outside my store was not for online bullying or harassment. It was to hold somebody accountable.”

570 News spoke with Matthew Seabrook himself who says that he wasn’t angry about the sign. In fact, he thought it was a funny response.

“I probably would have done the same thing, based on the tone of what I posted there but for some reason the public and other people took it in a different direction and there are some comments I don’t like that revolve around bullying and harassment and stuff like that.”

Seabrook wants to make clear that there was no bullying or harassment. He simply posted a review on Facebook.

MacDonald says despite comments from customers saying they will no longer visit the pub, he doesn’t think it will affect his business.

When asked if he regret his decision he said “Why would I? You lead, you follow, or you get out of the way. I would do things over and over again.”

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