A RESTAURANT has axed a popular pensioners' menu due to 'impatient' elderly customers abusing staff - but bosses today said they hoped to revive it soon if diners change their 'negative attitude' to hospitality workers.
Hive Beach Café, in Burton Bradstock, said 10 members of staff received abuse from impatient elderly diners who had been asked to wait during busy hours, leading it to scrap its Silver Silver pensioners' special deal.
Restaurant supervisor, Maisy Attrill, said the restaurant hopes to bring back the menu next month following a positive reaction to their 'drastic' action from the community.
She said that there had been almost 30 recorded incidents of staff abuse by customers since the special menu was relaunched at the end of September - which left some workers 'in tears'.
The temporary Silver Surfer menu provides three courses for £15 - and runs at the seafront restaurant between the end of September until November.
Maisy said: "When you work in the hospitality industry you come across some people who are just rude.
"During the more quieter months we usually hold our Silver Surfer menu, which provides a three-course meal for £15. It's a popular menu and it brings much needed custom during the year's generally more quieter period.
"Because it's a popular menu customers were having to wait around 20 minutes to be seated, which led to them becoming impatient.
"As a result, my staff dealt with these customers who were verbally abusive - bringing some staff to tears."
The café put out a post on social media announcing it would be cancelling the menu until further notice.
"Putting the post up has made an impact after we've been given support by the community, but it shouldn't have to come to doing something drastic," said Ms Attrill.
"It's good to get a positive reaction and support from the community.
"I can understand customers get frustrated and I think that's likely due to the pandemic and a busy summer, but my staff shouldn't have to put up with swearing and aggressive customers in the first place.
"The whole country has been short-staffed due to the pandemic and the hospitality industry was hit hard.
"We hope to bring the menu back by November, but that depends entirely on the reaction of people. People need to change their negative attitudes to staff working in the hospitality sector. It's not on.
"I would say the abuse has mainly come from the age bracket of people above the age of 55.
"In total, 10 members of staff have received abuse and there has been almost 30 incidents from when we restarted the popular menu on September 28 up until when we cancelled it on October 14.
"But we want to just put all this behind us now."
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