07/26/2026
Yesterday, a guest visited SOPA Restaurant and accused members of our team of being dishonest, alleging that we were serving fake beer while claiming it was another. Other behaviors like complaining about the air and opening the doors with air conditioning on. and although having an entire restaurant at their disposal– chose to sit at an 8 top table with two guests, and they still found the energy to make accusations directly to our staff in a disrespectful and confrontational manner about, well–everything.
As the owner, I made the decision to immediately comp the entire bill after their mains were served for the guest and their party and ask them to leave the restaurant because of their behaviour. I would much rather absorb that loss than allow anyone to demean, intimidate, or disrespect the people who dedicate 10–12 hours of their day to cooking and serving our guests with professionalism and integrity.
At SOPA Restaurant, we welcome questions and concerns, and management is always available to address them. What we do not welcome is abusive or disrespectful behaviour toward our staff.
I stand behind my team. I stand behind the integrity of everything we serve. And I will always choose to protect my staff over a sale.
— Luiana Mendes
Owner, SOPA Restaurant
