CRUEL and UNCARING My wife and I have been going to this restaurant since 1988, the year we started dating. It quickly became 'our special place'. Despite our very modest income, it was a special treat to go there. We brought friends there, we had small gatherings, and it was the last restaurant my grandmother attended (an 89 year Lachine, Qc resident) prior to her passing. In 1993 I asked my wife to marry me in Il Fornetto. Yesterday, August 27, 2022 we went to Il Fornetto from Ottawa (we moved from Montreal years earlier, but returned when we could), our 28th wedding anniversary. It was roughly 1pm and we told the greeter/waiter that we wished to have a quick coffee and dessert as time was somewhat pressing, and that it was our anniversary. There were several tables available inside, and most tables outside were empty. I asked the waiter if it would be possible to sit by a window inside the restaurant, and he replied "Just a minute, I'll see if there are any reservations". We then waited 15 to 20 minutes next to the counter with a lady who was waiting to purchase gift certificates. Other patrons took notice of our protracted wait, and made eye contact with us while glancing at their watches. It was a bit umcomfortable, but we thought it was worth the wait. The waiter came and went through the restaurant several times, and finally approached us to say "I'm sorry, but the manager says that we can't serve only dessert, there's a gelato place down the street... I'm really very sorry, I'm just an employee here..." In his defence, the waiter did seem uncomfortable and embarrassed. His embarrassment was but a shadow of that which we felt in front of everyone else. We cannot understand why we would be made to wait under the false pretense of looking for reservations. There was never any suggestion that there was a problem with our request, we were made to wait out of pure disregard for our time and dignity. My wife and I were stunned, practically speechless. Calmly and and in a low voice we expressed our dismay and surprise. I repeated the important role Il Fornetto held in our courtship, all the the waiter could do was to apologize again. We left the restaurant feeling dazed, sad, and embarrassed. It ruined our entire weekend. As we walked to our car, the lady who had been waiting to pay for gift certificates approached us and said "I can't believe that they didn't seat you! You know, that would not have happened if you were Italian... I hope that you have a nice anniversary anyway..." Certainly, that we are not Italian did not have any bearing in our treatment, but the fact remains that we WERE treated like trash. At no time did the manager approach us to personally explain or even to discuss - the way it's done in professional establishments. You know, places where the owners actually care about their patrons. As far as we could gather, the manager remained on the restaurant's upper floor. We understand full well the realities of COVID's effect on restaurants, but we question the wisdom of turning anyone away after such a destabilizing period for the food service industry. It truly boggles the mind. I've been in law enforcement for well over three decades. In all of those years, dealing with every possible type of person, I have never treated anyone with such outright disdain and disrespect. Imagine, after our 30 plus year relationship with Il Fornetto, the unmittigated audacity at being told to go down the street to be served. What a sad, shameful, and disrespectful way to end something, well, beautiful...

TS Ottawa