Cafe Divides Opinion After Kicking Out Non-Paying Customers From Group Of 10 Occupying Three Tables

SLO BAR Cafe in Bacolod, Philippines is facing both criticism and support for how it handled a recent incident.

The cafe explained on social media that a group of 10 students used three tables but only bought two drinks.

As a result, the staff asked them to leave so other paying customers could sit down.

After leaving, the group allegedly posted negative reviews about the cafe.

Instagram/@slowbar.cafe

Writing on Instagram, the cafe wrote: “How do we approach non-paying customers (mostly students) who want to be seated?”

"We know that they only want to hang out for free and shoot their personal content, but to what extent must we share our space to please these guests?”

"It pains us to get a mob of bad Google reviews from 10 unsatisfied kids saying that our staff were rude and that our food was bad when they occupied three tables and only got two drinks.”

“We do not wish to engage but these things will happen again so it may be better to confront them when we can.”

The post also mentioned that their main barista and two other staff members, who are also students, were working hard to serve customers, manage the cafe well, and maintain its reputation. 

Instagram/@slowbar.cafe

They emphasized their trust in the lead barista's decisions, believing they always act based on instinct and respect.

They then asked whether the customers understood the damage their negative reviews would do to the business, adding: “Other small cafes would understand."

"It is basic etiquette for any place to reserve their limited space for paying customers."

Many Instagram users expressed their agreement with the cafe, showing their support in the comment section of the post.

One person wrote: "These students are proof that the customer is NOT always right, especially when they lack basic etiquette and reek of entitlement."

Instagram/@slowbar.cafe

While another coffee business, Celery Coffee Stand, dismissed the negative reviews as 'baseless' and suggested that the cafe should report them to Google for 'bullying/harassment'. 

However, not everyone supported the cafe's actions.

Owner of Noon Cafe, John Nikko Danao, told PhilSTAR L!fe: "We cannot force everyone to order.

"Little sales still matter and we are already happy to see customers enjoying the ambiance of our cafe and we could not take this away from them."

Nikaela Cortez from Sibs Cafe commented that the students involved were "still customers at the end of the day."

Speaking to L!fe, she said: "Though they may only buy two drinks, and even if ten of them choose to stay, that specific moment can be a chance to attract more customers in the future.”

She also mentioned that if there are paying customers, her cafe would "politely ask" non-paying customers to share the table.