To think my friend’s “warning” was fine?

[WomanStanleyWoman2]

A new Arabic restaurant has opened in our area. A friend of mine went and said she liked the food, but was disappointed there was no alcohol licence. She and I both enjoy wine with a meal, so it did put me off a bit TBH, although I might try it for lunch.

Anyway, someone had posted about this restaurant on our local Facebook page, with all the usual “please support a new local business” comments. My friend had replied on the post saying “Just to warn people, this place doesn’t have an alcohol licence or offer BYOB”.

Honestly, from some of the reactions you’d think she’d confessed to suffocating puppies. People telling her she was pathetic; why on earth should people have to be “warned” about the lack of alcohol; can’t people enjoy even one meal without alcohol; it sums up everything that’s wrong with this country (🙄) and so on. One person (who I assume is connected to the restaurant or its owners) even tried to suggest she was damaging the business!

AIBU to think there was nothing wrong with what she posted? Maybe the word “warn” made it sound a bit overdramatic, but realistically there are a fair few people who wouldn’t want to go to a dry restaurant. As for saying she was damaging the business, that’s just ridiculous in my eyes. It was entirely factual to say they don’t serve alcohol. It’s unlicensed, but they want to keep it a secret? If they’re that worried the lack of a licence will put people off, why not just apply for one?

If they think they can sustain a dry restaurant, they must believe they’ll still get customers who aren’t bothered by the lack of alcohol. So why is it a problem to point out that they don’t sell it?

actually I'm not making assumptions based on race, I'm basing it on religion and culture

She wasn’t stopping them from doing that. She was highlighting a policy they CHOSE to implement!

It's cŕap for businesses out there at the minute.
I don't think there's anything wrong with saying there's no alcohol, but there's a way of saying things.
Like I might have said "lovely meal here last night, the lamb was delicious, atmosphere great.
No alcohol licence so couldn't have a glass of wine but never mind.
Will definitely be back
Enough negativity out there with people struggling as it is, I'd want to boost a new business up.

Yes but many more aren't. Not sure how much you eat out but I do a lot I have never come across a dry Arabic restaurant yet. I don't deny that perhaps they exist but so many are not, so I wouldn't think to check.
Would you think to check that an Italian restaurant was dry?

The thing is checking here is not an issue. If you want alcohol. Check all or check none. That is fine.

What's NOT fine is presuming that because of the cultural background of a restaurant people should check.

And finally, why the OP's friend pointing it out is a big issue because, if people make so much fuss about not caring why is it a negative comment. If you do care you've been informed. If you don't, then no issue.

No alcohol licence so couldn't have a glass of wine but never mind.
Will definitely be back

But she did mind and she definitely won’t go back!

Nobody owes a business survival. If the food's good and affordable people will come.
Actually the OP's friend was probably helping the business out by stating that they didn't serve alcohol. They might think to highlight this. Who knows how many others might have been put off.

If it doesn't serve it and it matters to people they will find out upon arriving and have a bad impression.

I don’t think you do. You haven’t acknowledged any of the posters who have patiently tried to explain how the post might have been misconstrued in an area with high levels of Islamophobia or hostility to multiculturalism, which may or may not apply where you live. Your responses essentially boil down to ‘well that’s stupid’.

Starting a sentence with the words ‘be warned…’ is quite dramatic and a bit shit stirry. She should have written ‘My friend and I went here this week and had a lovely time. Food was great and the staff were pleasant. Just to note, being an Arabic restaurant they obviously do not serve alcohol. Well worth a visit.’

I think this might be regional. It’s obvious if I thought about it, but coming from my small town it would never even cross my mind that a restaurant wouldn’t serve alcohol. It’s a restaurant!

I’d definitely appreciate a heads up. Like the op I might consider lunch but if I go out for a proper meal, I’d like a glass of wine.

But I don’t have to agree with any of the responses. Nobody does when they post on MN!

Too many MNers seem to think that it’s just stubbornness if an OP doesn’t change their opinion according to the responses. Just because I don’t agree it doesn’t mean I’m not listening.

But as many other posters have said, it isn’t obvious.

I am brown (well, mostly). Every time a South Asian business opens here there are always people commenting about how it's probably a money laundering front. But in real life people are exceptionally nice and don't condone racism it just seems like all the twats are on the internet. There are plenty of supportive comments to but nobody tells the twats off.
What I have found in an area with virtue signalling like where I used to live there will be a massive pile-on like this about a seemingly innocuous comment but people make it clear that they think you're beneath them IRL.
Unless of course OP replies that all the horrified posts are from Arabic/Muslim/non-white non alcohol drinking people it sounds more like people are trying to show how non-racist and egalitarian they are...

Yes but many more aren't.

But some are. For very obvious reasons. Nobody should be surprised that an Arab restaurant is dry.

So if it is important to you to have a drink, a smart person would ring ahead and check. If you don't want to do that on some displaced point of principle, then either go somewhere else or take your chances. Arab restaurants might well be dry. If you didn't know that before, you do now.

You absolutely are though. You made the assumption that Arabic = Muslim, when in reality there are loads of non-Muslim Arabic people as well as plenty of Muslims (Arabic or not) who do drink alcohol.

Lots of people will have appreciated what your friend posted OP it’s just that they are less likely to comment than those who think they have a complaint. She shouldn’t worry about it.

I'm loving the indignant accusations that people who would check the alcohol situation with an Arab restaurant are making terrible assumptions. The very act of checking means you're not assuming anything. Refusing to check and assuming there's alcohol isn't an act of broad-minded progressiveness, it's just daft.

If you look again you will see that I specifically said ‘acknowledge’, not ‘agree’.

I’m sorry you’re ignorant OP, but in the age of technology ignorance is a choice I’m afraid.

Practicing Muslims will not drink, serve or be around alcohol as it’s forbidden. Same with practicing Jews. If you’ve encountered otherwise that means you’ve encountered non practicing Muslims/Jews or business people who are willing to put their religion/culture to one side in order to make money.

Have you noticed that a lot of ‘Indian’ takeaways don’t sell pork?

Just because alcohol is our standard doesn’t mean it’s the norm worldwide . Anyway, I can assure you you’re better off without it and yes your friend needs to get off Facebook.

I don't need to know that. I have never had an issue. I presume the restaurants are happy too, as I'm giving them lots of business.
Which raises an interesting point... you, and all these other enraged people.... how many of you actually eat at these places regularly? Hmm? Have you been to just one or two in your life, and just assumed that all of them are dry?

OPs' friend actually went there and tried it out. I bet more than half those angry people., while being annoyed at a stranger on the internet, won't actually put their hands in their pockets and give it a visit!

I see this a lot with other business too. People posting a load of supportive comments, attacking each other on the internet, but do they actually do the one thing the business actually needs - become their customer?

No siree!

We've just stayed in quite a smart hotel like this in the UK- booked via booking.comNo mention anywhere that it was Muslim owned and no bar and they don't allow drink on the premises stall.

I wanted to put something too but my H told me to leave it. We aren't racist at all, but I do think it's something other guests might want to be aware of

I think you’ve got muddled here. Even the most hardline Orthodox Jews drink alcohol and sacramental wine plays an important role in certain religious practices.

@WomanStanleyWoman2 - but she used the word 'warn'. I mean you asked for opinions and you don't agree with most of the replies. Why ask?

I think it’s helpful.. if I’m planning on drinking with a meal out I’ll often get a taxi, or plan for soft drinks and take the car. I’d be annoyed to spring for a taxi and then find it was a dry restaurant. I’ve also not come across one before which doesn’t offer BYOB and charge corkage, so that would surprise me as well.
Perhaps warn might have been better worded as by the way or fyi but it hardly warrants nasty comments in return.

Your friend sounds like a nobhead with her 'warning'. And a bit thick too.

First of all Arabic is a language, it’s Arab.
also why are people equating Arab= Muslim. Lol
Arabs come in all form and religions, as for the OP I agree that her comment would have been fine if she had used a different connotation to ‘warn’ that sounds negative, however I don’t understand that you said she enjoyed her meal but she won’t be going back due to no there being no alcohol? Why didn’t she just look at the menu? Strange

The obsession with alcohol is insane to
me.