Restaurant Criticized For Facebook Post Mocking Customer Who Paid In Coins

A beer-and-burger restaurant in Lynchburg, Virginia, removed a sarcastic Facebook post about a customer who paid in dozens of coins after commenters complained the post was rude. Beer 88's original post—now deleted, but screengrabbed by ABC affiliate WSET—shows a photo of a receipt, a $20 bill, and dozens of quarters with the caption: "How NOT to pay at a restaurant...#wearebeer88notcoinstar."

According to WSET, many commenters on the post chided Beer 88 for "shaming" a customer, pointing out that money is money no matter its form. (The customer did even leave a tip, they noted.) Several other commenters took the restaurant's side, noting that heaps of change are annoying for restaurants to count and sort.

As of Tuesday morning, Beer 88's entire Facebook page has been removed, but WSET reports that an hour after posting the original photo and caption, the restaurant followed up with a new post responding to commenters' criticism: "it was posted as a joke, intended as a joke, and should be taken as a joke" but still asserted that paying in coins is "annoying to people that work in the restaurant/retail industry."

Safe to say, both sides have some valid points: Yes, it was probably annoying for restaurant staff to have to count up those quarters. And yes, money is money and the customer met their obligation to the restaurant. But the real lesson here is that in 2018, no restaurant is immune from public scrutiny when posting to social media. Some jokes among staff are better left as just that: among staff. Surely there was a break room or kitchen where employees could have taped up that photo and had a few laughs about it. Privately.