Chef says 'dogs welcome, bankers banned' at eatery

19 February 2016 - 03:03 By ©The Daily Telegraph, London

We all know an amazing meal in a restaurant is much more than just the food, and chefs worldwide go to great lengths to create a perfect environment for their customers: banning noisy children and forbidding smelly dogs.But one Parisian chef's new ruling seems to be more about a personal vendetta.Alexandre Callet, who runs Les Ecuries de Richelieu in Paris, has announced that he is banning bankers from his restaurant after numerous banks turned down his request for a €70000 loan to open a second eatery.Speaking to The Local, Callet said: "I believe in reciprocity."I had to respond. 'If you hit me, I'll hit you'."Callet became irate after the banks refused to grant the loan, which he said was "nothing" given that his current restaurant had a turnover of €300000 last year."This is not just a kebab shop. My restaurant is in the Michelin guide and film stars come in here," said Callet.The humiliated chef has decided to get his own back, displaying a blackboard outside his restaurant that reads: "Dogs welcome, bankers banned (unless they pay an entry fee of €70000)." Explaining his actions, Callet said: "They have treated me like a dog, so I have denied them access." ..

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