Upstate New York Restaurant Under Fire After Receipt Labels Elderly Women as “Old B*tches”

In a time when respect for our elders should be the bare minimum, a lunch meant to be a fun social gathering turned into something much more disturbing. A group of longtime friends and regular diners went out to lunch at a familiar spot they had visited many times before.

What happened during and after that meal has since gone viral.

A Familiar Group, a Regular Lunch

The women, who live together in a senior community, had made a reservation for ten. When three guests had to cancel last-minute due to unforeseen circumstances, the remaining seven still showed up to enjoy their lunch.

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Instead of being greeted with the usual hospitality they were used to, the tone from their server was unexpectedly cold. When the group explained that the guests couldn’t make it, the response was dismissive and sharp:

“Well, it would be nice to let me know in the future.”

Then, when one of the women noticed something floating in her water and brought it to the server’s attention, the concern was reportedly met with indifference, no apology, and no offer to fix it.

The Insult They Didn’t See Coming

The group asked for separate checks, paid their bills, and went home, thinking that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.

Later, when one of the women reviewed her receipt at home, she noticed the label printed on it:

“TABLE: Old B*tches.”

Others checked their receipts and saw the same thing. What started as a disappointing service experience became something undeniably offensive and completely unacceptable.

A family member of one of the women shared a photo of the receipt on social media to warn others, saying this wasn’t just bad customer service, it was outright disrespect.

Where This Happened and What the Business Had to Say

The incident happened at Deacon Blues, a restaurant and bar in Watervliet, New York that’s been in business since 1979. The spot has a long history, a steady stream of local customers, and a name inspired by the Steely Dan song.

After the post went viral, the owners, Ron and Helen Wilkinson, issued a public apology through a statement and a Facebook comment. They stated that they were on vacation at the time of the incident and were “mortified” to learn what had happened.

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A representative said they were committed to taking action upon returning and encouraged the women to contact the owners directly for what they called a “more meaningful resolution.”

A Lack of Accountability Raises More Concerns

While the apology was acknowledged, many took issue with what wasn’t included:

• No mention of disciplinary action for the staff member

• No offer of restitution or follow-up with the women involved

• No visible effort to correct the issue beyond surface-level PR

Adding to the concern, Deacon Blues has since hidden or disabled the reviews section of their Facebook page, making it harder for others to publicly respond or read real-time feedback.

Many who read the original post say this isn’t just about one employee or one restaurant. It’s a reminder that how a business treats its most loyal, most vulnerable customers says everything.

And when that treatment crosses the line into public humiliation, it deserves to be called out.