Applebee's Alcohol Mistake Leads To Retraining For All Servers

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The company that owns the Applebee's restaurant chain said Monday it was immediately retraining its workers nationwide after a server at a suburban Detroit location accidentally served alcohol to a toddler.

The company, California-based DineEquity Inc, said it would also change the way it serves juice to youngsters to eliminate the chance of any mixups that could result in any more toddlers receiving mixed drinks.

On Friday, Taylor Dill-Reese went to an Applebee's in Madison Heights, Michigan, where -- among other things -- she ordered her 15-month-old son Dominick an apple juice.

What the little boy apparently got instead was a margarita. His mom told WDIV-TV that she only realized something was wrong when Dominick "kind of laid his head on the table and dozed off a little bit and woke up and got real happy.''

The little boy reportedly began hailing strangers, too.

Applebee's released a statement Monday saying it was relieved that Dominick was "not seriously injured as a result of accidentally receiving the wrong beverage'' and apologizing to his family "for the stress and worry this caused them.''

It said it would begin to serve apple juice to children only from single-serve containers at the table and would ''retrain all severs on our beverage pouring policy, emphasizing that non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages must be stored in completely separate and identified containers.''

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher; editing by Greg McCune)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Camurria]

03:14 PM on 04/18/2011

The kid was lucky I got a good case of the runs last time I ate there.

[babybecks]

07:45 PM on 04/17/2011

Not a major amount of alcohol, doesn't sound like the child is hurt. But a good time for a reminder that alcohol can k i l l a small child. This story was just from this year.

http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/suspects-identified-in-death-819035.html

[robert horwitz]

03:48 PM on 04/17/2011

Not only did it sound like the kid had a great time but everyone at his table and and in the immediate vicinity probably got a a much needed break from his whining and figitting. Applebee's shouldn't have apologized. They should have complemented the waiter on his inetiative and written a new policy to make sure that this happens more often.

[El Chingaso]

04:55 PM on 04/16/2011

The day after this story broke, a former Applebee's manager on talk radio claimed that some restaurant staff members use "kids" cups to "covertly" consume mixed drinks while working their respective shifts. In the former-manager's opinion, that's probably what led to this kid getting served a cocktail, and getting wasted accordingly. Wrong cup brought to the table in haste. Oops.

I often wondered why "some" wait staff at Applebee's can't get my order straight. Well, now I know...

[CraigR]

05:12 PM on 04/13/2011

Dominick - future party boy.

[weekendpartier]

01:44 PM on 04/13/2011

c'mon, really?

[PartisanLove]

01:41 PM on 04/13/2011

first mistake is ever going to applebees for anything

[Lalala13]

11:14 AM on 04/13/2011

Where are readers getting the information about the drink being served in a plastic cup with a lid or what kind of container the margarita mix and apple juice are kept in? Based on the last paragraph it does seem that maybe it was a mistake because of the container the beverage was stored in, but there's nothing in the article about the glass or cup it was served in. Personally, anytime I get a drink with a lid (or a meal in a take-out container) I check it to make sure it's what I ordered because I know that mistakes happen.

[tacomamama]

10:28 PM on 04/14/2011

We got the information from other, more informative articles about this incident.

[rksnj67]

08:46 AM on 04/13/2011

On my local news they ran this story but had said the drink actually was apple juice but that there was tequila in it.

[elcerritan]

03:07 AM on 04/13/2011

I hear the kid's next gig will be a supporting role in the etrade baby ads.

[Tania Rivera]

02:11 AM on 04/13/2011

Way to go Bee's, making me so proud!

[LoyalObserver]

01:08 AM on 04/13/2011

DUH!

[boomcat44]

12:12 AM on 04/13/2011

On the plus side, the toddler slept like a baby afterwards.

[cedy]

09:44 PM on 04/12/2011

Lucky little kid, did he get a pack of camels too?

[weekendpartier]

01:44 PM on 04/13/2011

ha!

[KeyWestDan]

09:26 PM on 04/12/2011

The mother became concerned when her son started hitting on female toddlers way out of his league...

[weekendpartier]

01:45 PM on 04/13/2011

ha!