There’s a reason we revere brunch. We look forward to unpacking the work week with friends over decadent egg dishes, syrup-laden pancakes and the requisite mimosa. We give ourselves permission to indulge in extra bacon and maybe even a second champagne cocktail as we reconnect and relax.
But nowhere in this happy place do you picture vomit.
Yet dealing with patrons who lose their brunch is a reality for Bay Area restaurants offering the popular perk of bottomless mimosas. Particularly since the pandemic, they’re finding that diners, often ones in their early to mid-20s, are drinking too much and vomiting in the bathrooms — or even right on their tables. The burden on servers and staff to clean up after these public pukers is reaching a fever pitch, making it necessary for restaurants to take precautions and even implement fees.
At Kitchen Story, the cheery Asian-inspired restaurant in Oakland’s Rockridge district known for its millionaire’s bacon, the bathroom sports a pointed sign: “Dear all mimosa lovers, Please drink responsibly and know your limits. A $50 cleaning fees will automatically include in your tap when you throw up in our public areas. Thank you so much for understanding.” The text is signed off with a smiling emoji.
Restaurateur Steven Choi had his staff post the warning in the bathrooms nearly two years ago, after his general manager noticed similar signs in bars and suggested it as a possible solution.
“This was still during the pandemic and it became a very sensitive issue for customers and staff having to clean up,” Choi told SFGATE. “But this is not unique. It’s there to make the customers stop and think about other people.”
Kitchen Story co-owner Chaiporn Kitsadaviseksak said the sign has helped in preventing purging. He can’t even recall having to actually charge any customers the cleanup fee. But, before the sign, it was a big problem.
“It was really tough cleaning. People were scared with COVID. And this was happening a lot. My workers don’t want to do that. It got better. Now [customers] know they have to pay. They understand,” he said.
Other factors seem to be how the bottomless mimosas are served and for how long. Most brunch eateries enforce timed seatings in order to discourage overindulgence and move tables. At Kitchen Story, a small restaurant, you can enjoy your bottomless mimosas for 60 minutes. Servers bring small carafes of grapefruit- or peach-laced bubbly to the tables for customers to drain before another is dropped off.
“We don’t do that,” said Liz Ryan, co-owner of The Sycamore, a lively gastropub in San Francisco’s Mission District known for pork belly doughnuts and prosciutto-stuffed Belgian waffles. “We have a staff member who is a mimosa fairy. They bring a pitcher around that they use to refill glasses. There’s a [mimosa] station and it says this is for staff use only so please do not help yourself.”
During The Sycamore’s two-hour brunch seatings, the “fairy” makes their way through the dining area every 15 minutes or so to offer pours. At the same time, they’re paying keen attention to patron behavior. “Our staff is trained to make sure our customers don’t overdo it. Nobody wants to see people throwing up. That sort of spoils the party vibe that we’re trying to create.”
But nowhere in this happy place do you picture vomit.
Yet dealing with patrons who lose their brunch is a reality for Bay Area restaurants offering the popular perk of bottomless mimosas. Particularly since the pandemic, they’re finding that diners, often ones in their early to mid-20s, are drinking too much and vomiting in the bathrooms — or even right on their tables. The burden on servers and staff to clean up after these public pukers is reaching a fever pitch, making it necessary for restaurants to take precautions and even implement fees.
At Kitchen Story, the cheery Asian-inspired restaurant in Oakland’s Rockridge district known for its millionaire’s bacon, the bathroom sports a pointed sign: “Dear all mimosa lovers, Please drink responsibly and know your limits. A $50 cleaning fees will automatically include in your tap when you throw up in our public areas. Thank you so much for understanding.” The text is signed off with a smiling emoji.
Restaurateur Steven Choi had his staff post the warning in the bathrooms nearly two years ago, after his general manager noticed similar signs in bars and suggested it as a possible solution.
“This was still during the pandemic and it became a very sensitive issue for customers and staff having to clean up,” Choi told SFGATE. “But this is not unique. It’s there to make the customers stop and think about other people.”
Kitchen Story co-owner Chaiporn Kitsadaviseksak said the sign has helped in preventing purging. He can’t even recall having to actually charge any customers the cleanup fee. But, before the sign, it was a big problem.
“It was really tough cleaning. People were scared with COVID. And this was happening a lot. My workers don’t want to do that. It got better. Now [customers] know they have to pay. They understand,” he said.
Other factors seem to be how the bottomless mimosas are served and for how long. Most brunch eateries enforce timed seatings in order to discourage overindulgence and move tables. At Kitchen Story, a small restaurant, you can enjoy your bottomless mimosas for 60 minutes. Servers bring small carafes of grapefruit- or peach-laced bubbly to the tables for customers to drain before another is dropped off.
“We don’t do that,” said Liz Ryan, co-owner of The Sycamore, a lively gastropub in San Francisco’s Mission District known for pork belly doughnuts and prosciutto-stuffed Belgian waffles. “We have a staff member who is a mimosa fairy. They bring a pitcher around that they use to refill glasses. There’s a [mimosa] station and it says this is for staff use only so please do not help yourself.”
During The Sycamore’s two-hour brunch seatings, the “fairy” makes their way through the dining area every 15 minutes or so to offer pours. At the same time, they’re paying keen attention to patron behavior. “Our staff is trained to make sure our customers don’t overdo it. Nobody wants to see people throwing up. That sort of spoils the party vibe that we’re trying to create.”
