INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Indianapolis restaurant owner at the center of a viral Facebook post responding to an angry customer is speaking to Channel 2 about the ordeal.
Chris Burton co-owns and manages Kilroy’s Restaurant. A native Houstonian, Burton did not expect overnight internet stardom, but his response to an angry customer’s online rant has been shared thousands of times, and has thrust his name into the headlines.
"If you go to a restaurant or a bar and you have a complaint or an issue, and you want to talk to a manager, that's always fine and that's our job. But there's a way to talk to people and there isn't,” Burton said. “And the way that she was talking to my employees and my managers that night is not the way to do it."
When asked if Houstonians are more apt to ‘tell it like it is,’ Burton answered yes.
When a Facebook user posted a complaint about Kilroy's on its Facebook page, she probably didn't think it would get the attention that it has.
According to the post, the customer was dining at Kilroy's on New Years Eve. While they were there, a 70-year-old woman had a heart attack at the restaurant and nearly died, but the angry customer thought a person had died of an overdose.
The mad diner posted:
"I will never go back to this location for New Year's Eve!!! After the way we were treated when we spent $700+ and having our meal ruined by watching a dead person being wheeled out from an overdose my night has been ruined!!! Every year we have come to Kilroys to enjoy New Years Eve and tonight we were screamed at and had the manager walk away from us while were trying to figure out our bill being messed up. The manager also told us someone dying was more important then us being there making us feel like our business didn't matter, but I guess allowing a Junkie in the building to overdose on your property is more important then paying customers who are spending a lot of money!! Our waitress when we were trying to ask about our bill being messed up also said "what do you want me to do (expletive) pay your bill for you?" What a great way to talk to a paying customer!!! I get that working on New Years Eve a stressful but being a complete (expletive) to us all night knowing you get an automatic gratuity is not right!!!"
Restaurant co-owner Chris Burton replied to the post, writing, in part:
"This poor lady, who was celebrating New Years Eve with her husband and son, had to be placed on the floor of a completely packed bar and have her shirt removed in front of everyone so the paramedics could work on her. But I completely understand why you think being intoxicated (expletive) that didn't understand you bill should take priority over a human life...I'm glad to hear you won't be coming back to Kilroy's because we wouldn't want anyone as cold hearted and nasty as you returning."
Burton's response has been seen by many around the world, and he's getting a lot of support about what he wrote. See Burton's entire response on WTHR.com.
"Love your manager's reply to angry customer. Prayers the woman who suffered the heart attack continues to do well. May your business flourish, good hearts deserve success!" wrote Amy Hellman.
"Best wishes from Scotland. Glad the lady made it. Well done to all your staff on dealing so well with an distressing situation and the reply from management to the thoughtless comments that brought this situation to the attention of so many. Hopefully the silly girl has learned from her misplaced vitriol and thinks before posting in future," wrote Sharon McPhee.
According to another post on the Kilroy's Facebook page, the angry customer has since deactivated her profile.
Click here to donate for medical expenses to the woman who had a heart attack.
