Riccione (Rimini), August 24, 2026 – Maria Clara, 20 years old, lives in Florence and describes herself as “half Italian and half Brazilian.” She had gone out for breakfast at Victor Lab in Riccione with her mother and aunt. Two identical dishes, with only one different request: for herself, she had asked for the egg well cooked. On the receipt that arrived at the table, besides the note on the order, there was a vulgar phrase attributed to the waiter: “This one broke my a… Burns the eggs and spits in them”. First came astonishment, almost an incredulous laugh; then the request for explanations and the arrival of the manager, who – the young woman says – apologized. However, the matter did not end there.
When the venue posted a video on social media with the question “forgive or fire the waiter?”, Maria Clara intervened with a very critical comment. “It’s very easy to see that now you have chosen to make a video to mock what happened,” she wrote, arguing that a message of apology would have been more appropriate. After that comment, she reports having received insults and hostile reactions online. For this reason, she asks to be identified only by her first name.
Maria Clara, why did you comment on the video?
“Because the tone struck me. I wasn’t looking for punishment, but for taking responsibility and an apology, without turning everything into a social media poll.”
What do you remember about that morning?
“We were at the venue around 10: me, my mom, and my aunt. My aunt and I had ordered two identical dishes. I only asked for the egg well cooked because I don’t like it soft. We spoke very little with the waiter, two minutes in total.”
When you read the order, how did you react?
“At first, we laughed because we didn’t want to believe what we had in front of us. Then we asked for explanations. To our recollection, the waiter took the receipt and put it in his pocket. We asked him to give it back to us.”
The waiter took the receipt and put it in his pocket. We asked him to give it back to us
And the venue manager?
“We asked to speak with the manager. At first, we were told no one was there, then he arrived. The confrontation with him was civil: he was kind and apologized to me.”
What did the waiter explain to you?
“He said it was a joke between him and the cook, something they said they often did. But for us, it wasn’t a joke: on that order, there was a reference to a dish we were supposed to eat.”
You were told the waiter is 17 years old. Does this change your judgment?
“I’m not the one to decide whether to fire him. I don’t want a pillory. But age cannot erase a mistake. I would be satisfied with a direct apology from him: politeness and respect are the basis of civil coexistence.”
I don’t want a pillory. But age cannot erase a mistake. I would be satisfied with a direct apology
You said you were treated with little attention from the start, especially towards your aunt.
“Yes. We had the feeling that my aunt was not listened to as she should have been. I don’t attribute that behavior to a specific reason for sure, but it was an unpleasant feeling.”
Will you return to Victor Lab?
“Personally no. After what happened, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. But the point is not to ask for punishments: it’s to say that a customer must be able to feel respected.”
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