http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/oukoe_uk_applebees_alcohol CHICAGO (Reuters) – The company that owns the Applebee's restaurant chain said on 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 on 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."
So they're penalizing the staff for making the kid awesome? Spoiler <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cds7lSHawAw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
How in the heck do you accidentally give a 15 month old a margarita? And how does the mother involved not freeking notice either? There are two idiots here.
Most of the cups in these types of restaurants given to toddlers and just overall in the kid's menu are covered, will not give off a smell, will look the same color, etc., so it's understandable the mother didn't notice at first. It was entirely up to the waiter. I know Mrs. SwoLy and I usually don't taste the juice our daughters get. I know my daughters would have said something like "eeewww, this juice smells like Uncle 'Jailbird' Joey on Friday nights, mom!! " (*name that movie reference - difficulty: easy) EDIT - REP to: Steve_Francis_Rules - Back to the Future - image: Spoiler
I think it would be really hard to tell if a toddler was drunk....they're kind of goofy, incoherent, uncoordinated and unpredictable at the best of times.
the kid is going to be an alcoholic anyway... didn't even cry after drinking margarita, just slept it off
You can't accidentally pour alcohol into a kid's cup. Someone needs to get fired then Applebee's needs to get sued.
They probably have the margaritas pre made in a container somewhere, but I would think it would clearly be labeled. Who put the apple juice container next to the margaritas?
Yes their drinks come in a kids cup at Applebees. I still always notice what my older son is drinking (normally I share with him), and my 15 month old doesn't get his own drink in a cup that he can spill if he drops it, or flips it over. I don't think this is an easy mistake to not notice.
I am kind of concerned that people in the other "Applebee's" thread stated that a couple/few sips of alcohol for a 5 year old is no big deal and that he couldn't possibly have gotten drunk. How much does a five year weigh, how much blood do they have and how small are their stomachs? I love to kid around but it just came off as ignorant and dumb, not childish and funny.:grin: I am sure restaurants have a margarita mix in the fridge or other non-alcoholic drink mixes ready to go but I have never heard of any restaurant I or anyone else has worked storing open containers other than wine in a fridge. By the way, I have never eaten at Applebee's, I hear it blows like the wind.
