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A Florida Diner took to social media to complain about their failing business, and at the root of their gripes were their customers. College Park Cafe in Orlando, Florida, has been a staple in the community, but now, on the cusp of closing their doors forever, the business owners are pointing the finger at their core customers, claiming that despite listening to their concerns and feedback, they didn’t appreciate the business.

Posting to Facebook in a discussion forum to food and drink spots all around Orlando, the owners of College Park Cafe explained that their “days are numbered,” and blamed the problem on customers, asserting that patrons are the reason why other diners in the area are being forced to close as well.

A Florida diner in danger of closing blamed ‘exhausting’ customers for their financial troubles.

In their post, the diner owners claimed that they had tripled their sales in just one year by listening to their customers, which seems like good business. However, in their fourth year, they admitted they’re down 50%, but are still doing everything that is being asked of them by their customers.

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“We’ve been honest about our struggles. We’ve told you we’re doing everything we can to survive,” they wrote. “But let’s be real: food costs, inflation, and labor shortages aren’t the only reasons small restaurants shut down. It’s people who say they ‘support’ us while constantly disrespecting our boundaries, our staff, our work.”

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The diner owners claimed that customers don’t show them respect and try to control how they run things.

One of the owners of the diner recalled a recent interaction where a guest made a special request, and a new server wasn’t sure how to handle it. The owner stepped in to help, and the order went through. However, after the fact, the guest came back and said, “We want to support you, but if you won’t do what we ask, we won’t.”

The owner claimed that this type of behavior wasn’t supportive in the slightest. They likened it to the countless other times that customers have worn their staff down and wasted their time. The owners argue that their customers have been sending them a clear message that they’re simply not worthy of their respect.

Writing for Food & WineSeth Gerber, a hospitality professor at Boston University and a managing partner at the MIDA restaurant group, said that customer behavior has changed drastically since the pandemic, and the diner owner’s assessments aren’t far from what he’s experienced himself. When it comes to ungrateful customers, he wrote, “The goal is to look more carefully at the exceedingly blurry line between honoring the guest and maintaining clear boundaries to curtail unacceptable behavior.”

He went on to advise, “Restaurants often make the mistake of trying to be everything to everyone, appeasing the customer at all costs. However, successful marketing is not about finding as many customers as you can. It is about having a laser-focused quality product that is built to attract as many of the right customers as you can.” And therein lies this Florida diner’s dilemma. They have given up control to their customers, and now it’s backfiring.

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The diner owners insisted that ‘support’ shouldn’t come with ‘conditions.’

In their Facebook post, the owners wrote, “It’s not ‘do what I say or I’ll take my $12 elsewhere.’ That’s not loyalty. That’s entitlement. If we close and we are trending that way this year, it’ll be because too many people confused support with control.”

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It’s not just this Florida diner that is experiencing struggles that seem to be impacting their business. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) revealed that the U.S. restaurant industry’s average failure rate is 30%. That’s incredibly high.

And while there are a multitude of factors that contribute to a restaurant having to close, this Florida diner’s number one issue is with the same people who have claimed to be their biggest supporters. That’s a hard pill to swallow. Unfortunately, it’s also just part of an attitude shift likely brought on by a struggling economy. People have less disposable income, which means they are unwilling to spend it unless they get exactly what they want, even if their demands are unreasonable.

Small businesses already have added financial pressures that chain businesses don’t have to deal with. From financial strain to competition from other establishments, the burden often falls on the small teams that work within these businesses to keep things afloat. It’s clear that this Florida diner relies on the community and, in turn, expects them to have the same level of consideration and courtesy that they have for them as well. It’s not an unreasonable ask.

If communities really want local spots to thrive, it means showing up with kindness and support instead of demanding a level of service and perfection that is just unattainable. Times are hard, but it’s important to remember that times are hard for everyone. That means showing up for the small businesses that make your towns and cities unique.

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.