Mildred's - Sextaurant

[sadistick]

Given the dictatorship run 'other' food website deletion of this topic, I thought to bring things back to our old egullet.

So, what are everyone's thoughts of Mildred's blatantly pathetic marketing ploy?

Inviting people to have sex in their washrooms.....

They have succeeded, with articles in major news papers and local news stations even covering this idiocy.

Sad.

[Chris Amirault]

Can you give us some more context? I have no idea what you're talking about.

[sadistick]

Last week this restaurant announced they are promoting having sex in their washrooms -

Article can be seen here:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/restaurants/article/759714

Give EG isn't a dictatorship run by admin 'nazi's' - I would love to hear others thoughts on this blatant/desperate marketing ploy.

[docdix]

I think it's a valentine's marketing thing (a bit crass for me). In the light of stiff (no pun intended) valentine's day competition they are just trying to be different. I don't know their market nor their reputation in the area but I guess it may appeal to some people. They better have more than one washroom though!

[David A. Goldfarb]

Why not? If it appeals to some of their customers, brings some new people into the establishment, everyone who reserves a table knows what's going on, no one's getting hurt, no laws are being violated, they're all consenting adults, what's to object to?

[jenc]

Should note that MTK seems to want to "take it back" now...

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/761098--restaurant-that-promoted-sex-in-bathroom-would-rather-forget-all-about-it

Since I think that public bathrooms are generally gross and dirty (no matter how well kept they are), the notion of having sex in there is a distinct turn-off. But I don't care if others get it on.

[sadistick]

I can't believe that people actually think there is nothing wrong with this.

The number of reasons are overwhelming.

What if I bring my family/kids to this place without knowing and all of a sudden you hear a woman screaming from the washroom (hey, it could happen).

Let alone the thought that this is occurring in the same restaurant while I eat - somewhat near my food being prepared....give me a break - how is this even tolerated let alone sanctioned!

As Jen mentioned - it appears this may be taken out of light (thought I believe that is more so the owners trying to cover their asses) and they are re-thinking the negative exposure that will come along with this.

[Spring]

I thought that sex in a public place was illegal?

Personally I wouldnt want the sort of clientele that would be happy eating a meal while people were 'getting it on' in the bathroom or going to and from there. What happens when someone needs the bathroom for what it was originally intended? YUK

They really must be incredibly desperate.

[rgruby]

I have used the bathroom there.

By myself.

I think they got caught with their pants down. I don't think they really thought their patrons would too.

Cheers,

Geoff

[jayt90]

There are local bylaws that can be used, such as 'keeping a common bawdy house', but the police will not intervene as there is a long history of 'hands off' in this domain. The worst that can happen is a complaint from the public; the police will make their presence known, then leave. It seems that the restaurant has backed away from this.

[KatieLoeb]

Can I just say "Ewwww...."

Having been a manager at an establishment where one's hand might go numb to the wrist if a finger were dragged across the top of the toilet tank and having the more than occasional "coupling" tie up the rest room, encouraging either illegal drug use or <ahem> using the rest room as a brothel was never a good idea. Just a bad idea on so many levels I'm not certain which one is worthy of my most immediate attention. Silly and desperate marketing. I'm certain if it's widely enough shouted about, that there's some local ordinance that would kick in and cause the business in question more grief than it needs. Dumb, stupid, unnecessary attention that was easily avoided had they not sent up the flare guns themselves.

[gfweb]

Methinks they hired a college fraternity as marketers.

[Jake]

I would dearly love to know who they hired that advised them to do this. Quite certain it was just a V-day ploy, but still -- oops!

[SauceRobert]

I can't believe that people actually think there is nothing wrong with this.

The number of reasons are overwhelming.

What if I bring my family/kids to this place without knowing and all of a sudden you hear a woman screaming from the washroom (hey, it could happen).

Let alone the thought that this is occurring in the same restaurant while I eat - somewhat near my food being prepared....give me a break - how is this even tolerated let alone sanctioned!

As Jen mentioned - it appears this may be taken out of light (thought I believe that is more so the owners trying to cover their asses) and they are re-thinking the negative exposure that will come along with this.

I would hope that you would not bring children to a swank restaurant for the sake of the other diners! Yes, I have children and I do not bring them out to somewhere that is not kid friendly... the staff doesnt appreciate it and would rather not have you there... it ruins the experience for the other diners.

and... I hate to tell you but i bet worse things have happened in the KITCHEN! maybe not during service, or while you were there... but it may very well have happened whre food was being prepared.... or involved...

[sadistick]

I can't believe that people actually think there is nothing wrong with this.

The number of reasons are overwhelming.

What if I bring my family/kids to this place without knowing and all of a sudden you hear a woman screaming from the washroom (hey, it could happen).

Let alone the thought that this is occurring in the same restaurant while I eat - somewhat near my food being prepared....give me a break - how is this even tolerated let alone sanctioned!

As Jen mentioned - it appears this may be taken out of light (thought I believe that is more so the owners trying to cover their asses) and they are re-thinking the negative exposure that will come along with this.

I would hope that you would not bring children to a swank restaurant for the sake of the other diners! Yes, I have children and I do not bring them out to somewhere that is not kid friendly... the staff doesnt appreciate it and would rather not have you there... it ruins the experience for the other diners.

and... I hate to tell you but i bet worse things have happened in the KITCHEN! maybe not during service, or while you were there... but it may very well have happened whre food was being prepared.... or involved...

Swank? No. Wank'd (as previously suggested) more likely.

I do not know about your kids, but when I was a wee lad not 3 years old, my family would take my to restaurants such as Scaramouche and the like and I was a perfectly behaved child.

Thought naive of me this may be, I have a hard time believing people are having sex on the cutting boards in the kitchen at high end dining establishments.

Fact is, they are inviting people to get down n nasty in their washrooms, a place where I and others may or may not bring our family's without knowing otherwise.

Edited February 9, 2010 by sadistick (log)

[Florida]

I can't believe that people actually think there is nothing wrong with this.

Fact is, they are inviting people to get down n nasty in their washrooms, a place where I and others may or may not bring our family's without knowing otherwise.

Well now you know. I suggest that if you don't agree with it, don't patronize the restaurant.

[sadistick]

I can't believe that people actually think there is nothing wrong with this.

Fact is, they are inviting people to get down n nasty in their washrooms, a place where I and others may or may not bring our family's without knowing otherwise.

Well now you know. I suggest that if you don't agree with it, don't patronize the restaurant.

Why didn't I think of that?!

The goal here is to get the word out so that the vast majority do not patronize this establishment.

If you cant play nice and generate interest based on the quality of your food, you deserve the negative exposure.

[David A. Goldfarb]

They mentioned that they are hiring an extra restroom attendant to keep the washroom clean for the event, so I suspect that it will be cleaner than many restaurant bathrooms I've been in. Valentine's Day menu night is usually reservations-only at a restaurant like this, so I don't suspect there are going to be any walk-ins taken by surprise. As long as the kitchen staff are washing their hands after visiting the facilities, I still don't see the problem.

Is it a sign of desperation? Yes, I would say so, but can anyone fault a restaurant for desperation in the current economic climate, when fine-dining and mid-priced restaurants are offering discounts and special events of all sorts and even down-grading menus in some cases to bring customers through the door, not to mention moving to lower rent districts and applying their high-end brands to downscale pizza and burger joints?

[mkayahara]

The goal here is to get the word out so that the vast majority do not patronize this establishment.

If you cant play nice and generate interest based on the quality of your food, you deserve the negative exposure.

And if the quality of the food is good, why discourage people from eating there because of some publicity stunt? I thought we had outgrown Victorian-era prudishness around sex. By all means, avoid the restaurant on Valentine's Day, but, frankly, that's now the one night people are probably least likely to be able to have sex in the washrooms there, given the backlash.

Look, people have sex in public places all the time. If you don't want to be exposed to it, I suggest you avoid going out in public. And especially avoid entering any establishment in the Church and Wellesley area.

[Florida]

I can't believe that people actually think there is nothing wrong with this.

Fact is, they are inviting people to get down n nasty in their washrooms, a place where I and others may or may not bring our family's without knowing otherwise.

Well now you know. I suggest that if you don't agree with it, don't patronize the restaurant.

Why didn't I think of that?!

The goal here is to get the word out so that the vast majority do not patronize this establishment.

If you cant play nice and generate interest based on the quality of your food, you deserve the negative exposure.

Who is to say the publicity this post is giving to them is negative? The fact is I never even knew this restaurant existed until this thread was posted and, as the saying goes: "any publicity is good publicity." This thread is advertising gold, broadcasting this previously unknown restaurant to all corners of the world. Hell, the name of this thread is "Mildred's - sextaurant" which is certainly going to pique the curiosity of many viewers and encourage a look.

Negative? I don't think so. I couldn't care less if someone wants to get it on in the bathroom. Maybe a little cheesy to be advertising it as such, but, every Budweiser or Miller ad essentially indicates if you drink their crappy beer, you'll get laid, so I don't see how this is much different.