Patrons enjoying their meal at the Bayan Baru food court in Penang. — KT GOH/The Star
CUSTOMERS at the Bayan Baru Food Complex can enjoy their meal by sitting at any table without having to order any drinks, says its chairman Roy Ang.
“This is a food complex under the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and being a public area, there is no such ruling that customers must order a drink to be allowed to sit at the tables.
“Any customer may order their food and sit at any table as they wish, even if they do not order any drinks.
“Drink sellers have no right to chase the customer out for not ordering anything from them,” he said.
Ang, however, said that with more than 10 sections divided among all drink sellers there, customers were encouraged to order and sit within the same area.
“We appreciate it if a customer, who wants to have a drink, order it from a stall within the same section they are seated in.
“This helps to reduce conflict between drink sellers and help them to deliver efficiently as the food complex is big,” he added.
Ang: Drink sellers have no right to chase the customer out for not ordering anything from them.
Unfortunately, Ang said disputes between drink sellers and customers continued to arise over the ordering of drinks.
“This is usually due to lack of understanding from drink sellers.
“Some of them still think that they are operating a coffeeshop where the tables belong to them,” he said.
It was earlier reported that three patrons who were at the food complex, had been asked to order at least two drinks by the worker of a stall operator.
Ang said although the matter had been resolved, he requested the council to set up markers for the sections to set boundaries and help customers identify them.
MBPP public health and licensing committee alternate chairman Nicholas Theng said the council was investigating the matter before taking any action.
“Investigations are under way. We are not able to reveal the solutions yet,” he said.
Last week, a coffeeshop owner had posted a photo of a customer on Facebook to publicly shame him for not ordering drinks at his outlet in Carnarvon Street.
The customer apparently did not order any drinks nor pay a RM1 surcharge imposed by the boss on those who do not order drinks at his shop.
Netizens heavily criticised the owner, who subsequently apologised to the customer.
The owner, however, said the RM1 surcharge would be maintained to safeguard his interest.
