No Shirt, No Booties, No Service

We've all seen the signs that read "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service". The signs are commonplace all over the country, and most people don't complain because the rule is to promote a healthy place to eat. But one St. Louis-area Burger King carried the rule a little too far.

Jennifer Frederich and her mother stopped at the Burger King for a bite to eat. Ms. Frederich had her six-month-old daughter with her. After they had ordered and received their food, restaurant workers noted the baby was not wearing any shoes. They told Ms. Frederich and her mother they would have to leave because the baby not wearing shoes was a health code violation (it's not).

The mother and grandmother quickly wolfed their food down and left, before they could be thrown out. Ms. Frederich said she didn't think the rule applied to a baby (who was too young to walk).

She was right. Burger King's Miami-based headquarters said the restaurant went too far. They said, "Our franchisee, which independently owns and operates this restaurant, apologizes for this guest's experience. The franchisee is retraining his restaurant team on the proper use of the 'no shoes' policy."

The franchisee has apologized in person to Jennifer Frederich. For her part, Ms. Frederich says the whole thing was a little overblown and she hopes no one gets fired. She did say she appreciated the apology though.

It looks like Burger King has a pretty good public relations department. They acted quickly and seem to have done the right thing. Kudos to the King!