Cobb & Co at the Railway Station, Dunedin. Photo / Facebook
A woman’s birthday spiralled into a nightmare after her group was reportedly booted from a private room at Cobb & Co during her party.
The dinner, which was pre-booked for about 12 guests, was held in a private room at 5.30pm on February 7, a Saturday, at the Dunedin restaurant.
However, only four guests were able to attend the function, so the group opted for a more relaxed affair. They ordered drinks and enjoyed a birthday cake.
The celebrations took a turn when the diners were allegedly told “get out of here in 30 minutes” after they didn’t order main meals.
One of the party, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Herald that at no point during the booking phase or on the night itself was anyone informed of any requirements such as having to order a main meal.
She said the dispute left the woman whose birthday it was in tears.
A Cobb & Co spokesperson said the situation “deeply saddened” the company, but its sympathies also lie with its franchisee, in an industry where the profit margin is extremely fine.
A booking for 12 people was made in person by the woman whose birthday it was in January.
The friend said the woman did not receive a confirmation email or written details and was simply told, “Okay, we’ll book it for you”.
When the booking was made, there was no mention that the room would be booked again at 7.30pm, and no other instructions or conditions were explained, the friend said.
The only thing mentioned on the day of booking was an extra $20 charge for servicing the cake, which the woman agreed to.
On the day, due to unexpected circumstances, only one of the invited guests showed up, along with the birthday girl’s sisters.
The woman was “really upset” by the no-show, her friend said.
“As the situation sadly and unexpectedly changed, the group decided to support the birthday girl, change her mood by ordering drinks, bring out the birthday cake, take photos, and then leave early, as there is no longer a need to stay for a full booking.”
During the evening, two staff members came in briefly to ask for their orders, but no explanation was given that a main course was required.
About an hour or so before the scheduled end time, an older woman, who the friend said was later identified as the owner, entered the room while they were cutting the cake.
She asked them if they were going to order anything, and they said no.
The friend said the diners were then met with a “dismissive” response.
She claimed the older woman said, “You cannot come and book a room, pay forty-something dollars [referring to the total cost of drinks], and leave. It is rude to come to a restaurant and not order a main course.”
The friend said the birthday group was told to “get out of here in 30 minutes”.
She said the interaction left no opportunity for discussion or clarification.
“The manner and timing of this interaction caused significant distress, particularly to the birthday girl, who was already upset due to the low turnout. She was left crying and apologising to the lady despite having acted in good faith,” the friend said.
She said they initially left the restaurant in shock and questioned whether the treatment should be considered fair and acceptable.
She said it raised the question of whether customers should be treated differently based on how much they spend, particularly when no conditions are stated.
“I fully understand that restaurants are businesses with operational needs. However, if minimum spend requirements or booking conditions exist, they should be clearly communicated in advance and handled with courtesy,” she said.
She said a respectful conversation would likely have led to a very different outcome.
The Cobb & Co spokesperson said that because no two function inquiries are the same, a blanket policy simply doesn’t reflect the reality of hospitality.
They said any rigid policy around reserving function spaces would be inherently inhospitable and, for some guests, unnecessarily prohibitive.
“We encourage our franchisees to work directly with guests to find solutions that work for everyone,” the spokesperson said.
“Our sympathies also lie with our franchisee, who we can only imagine was looking at the clock, aware of another booking on the way, having rostered extra staff to support both groups, and hoping to make the factored revenue in an industry where the profit margin is extremely fine,” the spokesperson said.
They said regardless of the group size, franchisees need to adjust operations to accommodate a booking, often rostering additional staff and redeploying labour to ensure both the function and regular service run smoothly.
“In Dunedin, this becomes even more complex. The restaurant operates within a historic site and receives hundreds of requests each week for the two function spaces available.
“Our franchisee meticulously schedules as many of these as possible without requiring a single deposit or imposing barriers,” they said.
The spokesperson said it was a restaurant, not a convention centre, where a formal booking policy might more appropriately apply.
Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Kristy Phillips said if business owners aren’t breaching the Fair Trading Act, it’s not unreasonable for a venue to indicate a minimum spend requirement or ordering of a main meal.
“Private bookings do take significant time and effort to ensure the guest’s experience is positive, for both the private booking and the guests within the wider venue during that time,” Phillips said.
She said best practice would dictate that any terms a restaurant or cafe has in place regarding a large group or private room booking are communicated clearly with guests at the time of the booking to avoid frustrations and disagreements.
“Changing or retrospectively attempting to enforce a policy that hasn’t been communicated with a guest will generally lead to missed expectations and disappointment for both parties.”
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.