‘We now have an unofficial no d***kheads policy’: Absurd reviews hurting restaurants

Restaurants trying to recover from lockdowns are being hit with absurd reviews. You won’t believe what one vegan venue was slammed for.

Sister of Soul has fallen victim to brutal online reviews. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Restaurants clawing back after two tough years of the pandemic are being hit with absurd reviews.

One diner complained that a vegan restaurant not serving meat was discriminatory while at another eatery the diner wished they had spent their cash on strippers instead of the food.

Sister of Soul, in Richmond and St Kilda, was bemused by a one star review of its vegan eateries.

“Discrimination and racism in 2022 is unacceptable. These people refuse to cater for omnivores. I go to omnivorous restaurants with the expectation that there are vegan options so it is reasonable to expect reciprocation,” Operations Computer wrote.

Sister of Soul posted the review to the business Instagram page, asking followers how best to respond.

Most suggested the restaurant ignore it.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion and people are entitled to behave as rationally and irrationally as they want to be,” the restaurant told the Herald Sun on Saturday.

The restaurant said repeat offenders usually had a trail of bad reviews.

“That makes them feel validated and that is fine. We try to take them with a grain of salt.”

Another eatery, Brother Shota, in Albert Park, weighed in.

“Honestly, it’s exhausting to see these pathetic reviews. We just received one star review because we took off one of their favourite dishes”.

Inside Brother Shota, Albert Park. Picture: Rob Leeson

Others pointed out that “Operations Computer” had left a trail of odd reviews, calling a manager a “cow “ at another venue and complaining that they had French pinot noir served in a shiraz glass at another venue.

Jan Chi Korean Feast owner Seo Jin Min said hospo was at the mercy of customers posting unfair reviews.

Earlier this year, an unhappy punter said they wish they’d splashed their cash on hookers instead of the well regarded Korean cuisine.

Ms Min said mean spirited customers often posted negative reviews, under made up names, across platforms.

The push back by Ms Min, who operates the Bridge Rd business with husband Steven, comes after the team behind Tuck Shop Takeaway, in Caulfield North, called out a small number of people writing horrible reviews.

After the popular burger shop announced it was closing for a change of pace and to pursue their sauce range, Karina and Clinton Serex delivered truth bombs.

One post outlined some of the unhinged reviews.

“The only thing I can say about this place is it is so bad, it should be burnt to the ground,” one reviewer said.

Google refused to delete the review, saying it did not break community guidelines.

Ms Serex received hundreds of replies from hospo operators saying they were powerless to counter some reviews that appeared irrational and sometimes referred to the wrong venue.

Badly behaved Mornington Peninsula holiday makers, sniping about milk alternatives, wait times and service during the frenetic high season forced Only Hospitality Group to spell out a “no dickheads’ policy.

Posters were affixed to more than 20 cafes in the Only Hospitality Group during January, sparked by hospo battlegrounds in Sorrento, Blairgowrie and Rosebud where venues were wrestling with staff shortages.

Only Hospitality Group director Julien Moussi said the bad behaviour started on the peninsula but snowballed to Melbourne venues over January as peak season collided with Covid cases and staff shortages.

Only Hospitality Group chief Julien Moussi has a strict “no dickheads policy”. Picture: Nicki Connolly

The posters read: “To protect our staff we have a strict NO DICKHEADS POLICY. Any customers who are rude or aggressive will simply not be served and will be asked to leave this venue.”

Mr Moussi said while bad behaviour in pubs and bars was called out and people were kicked out, some people thought they could be rude to often young staff.

He stressed the bad behaviour was limited to a few customers.

“We now have an unofficial no dickheads policy,” he said.