One Erie restaurant has sent a blunt message to potential customers: respect our staff and other patrons or take your business elsewhere.

A sign on the front doors of the Brewerie at Union Station,123 W. 14th., states “Be Kind or Leave” as the eatery and other restaurants nationwide work to reclaim visitors and revenue while the covid-19 pandemic continues.

Chris Sirianni, the business’ owner, said the sign was posted on Friday afternoon.

Asked why he felt it was necessary, Sirianni said: “During this pandemic, we’ve dealt with some of the most pleasant, courteous and thoughtful people as customers. But since we’ve reopened fully, there’s definitely a growing number of people who have become rude and short with our staff.

“We always say in this business, ‘You get one disgruntled customer out of 100,’” Sirianni said. “But it seems like it’s grown to almost one out of every 10 customers lately, being just rude or unpleasant from the get-go.”

A post on Brewerie’s Facebook page about the restaurant’s frustration with ill-mannered customers has more than 2,000 likes and has elicited nearly 250 comments since Friday.

The post has been shared almost 1,000 times.

Brewerie’s post includes a photo of the sign affixed to the restaurant’s front doors. The sign, which includes the restaurant’s logo and proclaims “kind people welcome,” also states that “many people in this building have been through hell and back this past year. If you can’t treat them with the same courtesy and respect that they give to you, we kindly ask that you take your business elsewhere. Our staff is our family and they deserve better.”

Sirianni said he understands some patrons are “fatigued” and frustrated by the ongoing pandemic.

However, Sirianni has witnessed disrespectful behavior directed towards restaurant staff on several occasions — and he considers it unacceptable.

“I’ve seen our best and brightest employees be broken down by people,” he said. “They’re servers, not servants. This kind of behavior makes it harder for people to want to do this kind of tough work.”

The Brewerie operated as a takeout-only restaurant between March and June 2020 as the pandemic tightened its grip on the world and prompted widespread business shutdowns.

It then operated at various stages of limited capacity under statewide guidelines between June 2020 and May, when Pennsylvania lifted most of its covid-19-related restrictions.

The restaurant was able to receive a $180,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan, according to U.S. Small Business Administration data.

“If it wasn’t for PPP,” Sirianni said, “we wouldn’t have survived.”

More: PPP loans injected millions into Erie County workplaces. Here’s who got the most

Sirianni said he talks regularly with other restaurant owners throughout the state and region, and he knows that sadly, Brewerie’s experience is not unique.

Restaurants across the nation have reported what they see as a significant uptick in boorish customer behavior.

“It could be (prompted) by telling a customer that we’re out of crab or fish because the Canadian border’s closed and we can’t get that stuff easily. Or they might have an hour wait because we’re busy on a Friday or Saturday night,” Sirianni said.

“There was a time when most people were fine with that. But service businesses and restaurants are all seeing more and more of this collective anger.”

Sirianni said response to the sign has been overwhelmingly positive, on social media and elsewhere.

“I’ve received phone calls and e-mails. This struck a chord and people support it,” he said. “And I know our staff really appreciates it. We’re just trying to keep people safe, keep people comfortable, and keep our business running.”

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