Overview
- Emma Baldwin says a staff member declined to seat her at the Halifax Beefeater on December 7 after she made an online reservation while standing outside.
- Baldwin alleges the waiter told her, “that’s not how it works,” and she describes the restaurant as at least half-empty at the time.
- Her TikTok recounting the encounter has drawn more than 354,000 views, with commenters questioning why a bookable table was unavailable to a paying customer.
- A Whitbread spokesperson apologized, described the situation as a booking mix-up, and said the guest would be welcome in the future while the matter is reviewed.
- Baldwin says she went elsewhere for breakfast, filed a complaint, and does not plan to return, and local reports do not independently verify the staff conduct she describes.