Actor Russell Crowe and his girlfriend Britney Theriot were recently turned away from an Australian restaurant because they did not adhere to the dress code.
The pair arrived at Mr. Miyagi, a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, dressed in their tennis attire, as they had just finished a game before heading out. However, when they turned up, the staff quickly refused to let them in.
Crowe’s manager Grant Vandenberg told the Daily Mail Australia: “He (Russell) went there wearing a brand new Ralph Lauren polo having just played a game of tennis and was turned away.”
Despite his outfit appearing smart, work gear, activewear, singlets, and flip-flops are not permitted at the establishment, which bills itself as “casual but fancy.”
When asked about the ordeal, the administration reaffirmed their choice to turn the Gladiator actor away, asserting that no one is exempt from their regulations.
“We treat everyone the same. It doesn’t matter who you are or if you are Russell Crowe. We’ve got a dress code that we push across every level,” owner Kristian Klein told The Herald Sun.
“We are consistent with it and I don’t feel like it’s unreasonable. Klein continued. “But I know personally if I’m in my thongs (flip-flops) and my boardies (shorts), I’m not going to try and go to a nice restaurant, because I wouldn’t be dressed appropriately.”
Despite this, they said it was a “very unfortunate situation for everyone,” Klein added, revealing the member of the staff who refused Crowe access didn’t know who the star was.
However, the restaurant later used the blunder to update its dress code guidelines on Instagram, and Mr. Miyagi made light of the incident.
The sign stated, “Dress smart casual, unless you’re Russell Crowe, then wear whatevs.”
The restaurant also wrote: “Dear Russell, During your last visit it seems we got off on the wrong foot. After much reflection on what occurred, we have made a permanent change to our dress code,” the caption read. “We would love to see you again in the future, you’re always welcome at Mr. Miyagi.”
And it didn’t take long for social media users to comment on the ordeal, with one writing: “Honestly what happened to good old fashion customer service.. who cares about what someone is wearing or their social status for that matter.”
While another commented: “I understand rules and regulations. But in today’s world, if someone is coming from an, let’s say tennis game, there should be exceptions made. Not because of being a movie star, but because of being a normal couple who didn’t have time to go home and change!
“The moral of the story is, those waiters lost big tips, and the establishment lost out on a big check! C’mon on, this is 2023!”
“Love the restaurant for treating him like anyone else. If restaurants in Hollywood did the same imagine how wonderful it would be to watch wait staff teach the Hollywood elite basic manners like what is appropriate attire, how to speak to staff, that you are not the center of the universe, and the list goes on and on. P.S- I’m sure Russell (who seems pretty normal compared to most the acting morons) probably didn’t make a big deal of it,” a third wrote.
