Park Hyatt Sydney to get customers to sign legal waivers for doggy bags
The Park Hyatt Sydney has joined the Glass Brasserie at Hilton Sydney to issue customers legally binding “doggy bag” waivers to anyone wanting to take food home.
The document absolves the venue for any food safety risks associated with the food once it leaves the premises.
“When food is taken outside of the venue, we can no longer guarantee the standard of its handling,” said a Park Hyatt Sydney spokeswoman. “The waiver form was created to ensure diners are aware of this.”
The document is designed to protect against claims of food contamination that were more likely the result of improper food handling or refrigeration outside of the restaurant and to protect against diners posting bad reviews online.
Speaking to The Telegraph, chef Luke Mangan said it was “a way in which we can protect ourselves”.
“It’s a way we can say ‘if you decide to take food from the premises of the restaurant, then what happens after that is no longer our responsibility’,” he said.
“Inside a restaurant like Glass there is an extremely high level of health and safety that we must adhere to. I’m happy to stake my reputation on that. But once the food goes home, I don’t think we should be held responsible.”
Other chefs have also voiced their support, with Michael McMahon, who owns Catalina in Rose Bay fine diner, saying it was “a fantastic idea”.
Celebrity chef Matt Moran said he advises his staff to “discourage them strongly… Unless they are really keen on taking something”.
“Then we make sure we explain the food has to be stored within a certain amount of time and not sit in the garage overnight before being eaten and then reviewed online,” he said.
18th March 2019
