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?

because it was a discussion point originally mentioned in your op,

"can’t people enjoy even one meal without alcohol; it sums up everything that’s wrong with this country"

which i extrapolated that it could be debated that society would be better overall in the long term, without booze.

Although I wouldn't expect alcohol at an Arabic restaurant that's not why i think it was a bit of a twatty comment to make. This was a post about supporting a new business and she couldn't even say something nice about the food before giving her 'warning'...it really wouldn't have taken much for her to say how nice the food was, hope the business is successful and then just note the alcohol thing.

You mean a kosher restaurant? Probably, yes. There's no prohibition against alcohol in Judaism.

Not read the whole thread but I think it was unnecessary to post the comment.

Any adult when Potentially visiting a Arabic restaurant can easily find out if alcohol is served. The whole "warning" sounds very negative

Yes!

But its not hindering the business?

People who are not bothered about no alcohol will go

People who are bothered about no alcohol won't go, or worse, book a table then walk out.

There's honestly no issue here

I’d be grateful someone had given the heads up about that. The cheerleading sheep are the twatty ones. YANBU.

Run by Muslims maybe but not all Muslims are practising Muslims,just as all Christians are not practising Christians.

The fact this restaurant is Arabic absolutely doesn’t mean it has to be run by Muslims. Another post showing incredible ignorance over something you’re trying so hard to be offended by.

Why would it not occur to you that a Arabic restaurant may well not serve alcohol, and to ring ahead to check if you wanted to know?

can’t people enjoy even one meal without alcohol; it sums up everything that’s wrong with this country

I eat many meals without alcohol, however when I eat out in a restaurant, I do like a nice glass of wine. Nothing wrong with that.

I think the wording she used was wrong. I wouldn't call it a warning.
She could have said something about the food as she said she liked it then gone on to say it doesn't serve alcohol

Yanbu.

I would appreciate the heads up. Save me a wasted trip.

But not told anyone else the answer in case it put them off going?

Exactly. So give that she'd not even visited it was rather churlish to post that.

I don't drink alcohol, so that wouldn't bother me, but there's no problem with giving others potentially useful information. It was only the truth.

Are you sure it wasn’t Mumsnet she posted on? Sounds like the onslaught of abuse you’d get on here! 😂. Classic example of performative outrage/virtue signalling. One person will have been an arse in their reply and it’ll have given everyone else permission to be arsey too. I’d 100% want to know that information. I don’t want to have a meal out at the weekend without a glass of wine because I enjoy that!

Agreed, you explained it best.

I'd be happy to get a heads up about that. If we got a babysitter and went off out for a meal we would be raging to discover we couldn't get a glass of wine or a beer. It wouldn't have entered my head to check I'd have just assumed they sold alcohol

She did visit. It’s literally in the second sentence of my opening post.

Pretty “churlish” to post when you can’t even be arsed to read the first post 😆

I would have appreciated the warning. I don’t go out to dinner very much or indeed drink very much . So when I get the chance of a dinner out, I like to have a glass of wine with it. On two occasions in my life I have gone to restaurants that didn’t and it was disappointing.

Because I live in a diverse area with a lot of Muslim-run restaurants and they either serve alcohol or offer BYO. Serving alcohol in restaurants is a pretty standard expectation in this country 🙄

Exactly.

Honestly some of the people on this thread are coming across as embarrassingly closed minded and thick.

I expect they've never travelled further than their nearest seaside town.

Sorry I forgot sarcasm doesn't always translate via the written word.

I agree completely.

Loads of Indian restaurants don't serve alcohol and you can't bring your own.
People who want an alcoholic drink usually find out first.
WARN is a strong word.
I can't understand why people NEED alcohol when the food is so good...