A California family sparked debate online after claiming an Italian restaurant refused to let them eat inside after they called in their order. Instead, they say the restaurant forced them to finish their meal in the parking lot.
TikTok creator @gorditacrunchs shared a short clip showing her family eating from various parts of their vehicle, some sitting in the backseat, others hunched over the trunk of the car.
Why Were They Forced To Eat Outside?
“We drove 2 hours to eat at our favorite restaurant to eat in the parking lot while the restaurant was COMPLETELY EMPTY…” the video’s text overlay reads.
They also called out the restaurant directly, writing, “Vinny’s in La Habra, great food, rude employees today.”
In the caption, the creator shared more context about what happened. According to her, the family used to live and work in the area and had been regular customers before moving farther away.
They said they decided to stop by Vinny’s on the way to Los Angeles instead of grabbing fast food.
“Because we were on a time crunch, we asked if we can order ahead and eat in,” the caption explains. “Answer was no. That’s ok, we understand.”
When the family arrived slightly earlier than the restaurant suggested, they asked again if they could eat inside. They reportedly told the restaurant they’re comfortable eating directly out of the pizza box.
“It was again a no,” the caption continues. “Now it’s not what was said, it’s how it was said.”
The creator claimed two employees made them feel unwelcome.
“The two lady employees were not at all welcoming, and we felt like an inconvenience,” she wrote.
With nowhere nearby to sit down and eat, the family says they spent about 20 minutes eating their food in the parking lot.
“The food was amazing, but it was so hard to enjoy knowing the restaurant was completely empty,” she wrote. “We made the best out of it for our kids but it was embarrassing.”
She added that the experience made her hesitant to even ask to use the restroom.
“I love the food but won’t be coming here again,” the caption concludes.
Commenters Share Frustration And Similar Stories
Many viewers in the comments said the situation felt unnecessarily hostile, especially if the restaurant wasn’t busy.
“I thought it was just us when we went,” one commenter wrote. “When we left we actually turned around to wave and said ‘Sorry to bother you while you were at work.’ Never going back even though it was good.”
Another person said they had a similar experience with staff.
“They are so rude!!!! I parked by the restaurant but before I went in I was walking towards a shop that was next to it and they RAN out and started yelling me that I couldn’t park there,” they wrote. “I have not gone back since.”
A third commenter focused on the call-in order issue.
“I’m still stuck on they wouldn’t let you place a call-in dine-in order at a pizza place,” they wrote. “My local mom and pop burger place even takes call-in orders for the drive thru.”
However, it’s worth noting that there are many Italian restaurants named “Vinny’s,” so it’s not clear whether every commenter was referring to the same location. Additionally, the TikTok creator initially tagged the wrong restaurant location in the video.
In a follow-up post, the creator stitched a comment that appears to come from someone claiming to represent the restaurant.
“I was made aware of this post from another server… I’m sorry this was your experience,” the message reads in part. “I will be dealing with all my staff, especially the server that helped you. You should have been accommodated and made…”
Is It Common For Restaurants To Reject Call-In Orders?
Some restaurants choose not to accept call-in orders for dine-in service.
According to a report from Tasting Table, this is because restaurants carefully time orders and seating to keep the kitchen running smoothly. Accepting phone orders for tables can complicate that process.
If a customer arrives late or doesn’t show up at all, that means the restaurant is left with food that they can’t sell and wasted resources.
@gorditacrunchs Back story : we used to live and work in the area and were consistent customers . We moved far away and have missed their food . We had to be in LA by 5pm and instead of eating fast food , we thought eating and supporting Vinny’s would be the best option . Because we were on a time crunch , we asked if we can order ahead and eat in : answer was No . That’s ok we understand. As we arrives a little earlier then they said , we asked if we can be accommodated and eat in but out of the pizza box was ok – we didn’t expect playing … it was again a No . Now it’s not what was said – it’s how it was said . The two lady employees were not at all welcoming and we felt like an inconvenience. We didn’t have a place in the area to go to so we ate in the parking lot for 20 mins . The food was amazing but it was so hard to enjoy knowing the restaurant was complete empty . we made the best out of it for our kids but it was embarrassing and we know that not all the employees are / were rude in the past . Super upsetting experience, was afraid to ask to use the restroom. Again – being that it was take out – we understand that we weren’t going to be accommodated… but the fact that there were 3 employees in the front assisting nobody , was discouraging. Even the response of asking for napkins (4 napkins for a large pizza , large sub , garlic bread and pesto pasta for a family of 6) … I love the food but won’t be coming here again as it didn’t not seem like a “family restraunt” #restrauntreview #lahabracalifornia #supportbusinesslocal
BroBible has reached out to Vinny’s through Facebook Messenger and its contact form and to @gorditacrunchs via TikTok messages.