If you were wondering what former sports sporter Jen Royle was doing following her well-esteemed career as a baseball journalist, you probably wouldn’t have gotten “feud with restaurant goers” on your bingo card.
Royle, a former MLB writer/reporter for 13 years, transitioned to the culinary world in 2019, opening Table Boston as owner and chef. While known for her passion, she has also faced criticism for her online interactions with customers who raise concerns about the restaurant.
Royle’s heated exchange with a customer over a canceled reservation recently went viral, sparking significant online backlash. This controversy has led Table Boston to close its social media presence temporarily, and Royle has reportedly received threats. Royle also locked her Twitter and Instagram accounts. The restaurant has also been flooded by 1-star reviews on Yelp.
Royle sent a sarcastic message on social media to customer Trevor Chauvin-Decaro for “screwing over my restaurant and my staff when you disputed your cancellation fee.”
Wild story incoming. Last month, we had to cancel our Boston trip after I was hospitallized. As a result I had to use travel insurance to get my money back on our hotel, train, and restaurant reservations. Today I got this message from @tableboston pic.twitter.com/d7jc84rllJ
— chase travel insurance it girl (@trevorshowvan) February 22, 2024
On Jan. 6, Chauvin-Decaro had a reservation at the restaurant, but due to an unexpected illness requiring hospitalization, he was forced to cancel within 48 hours.
Despite the reason for cancellation, a $250 fee was applied. Chauvin-Decaro contacted the restaurant to explain his situation and request a fee waiver, emphasizing his hospitalization prevented him from honoring the reservation.
The restaurant advised him to contact his credit card company.
Chauvin-Decaro successfully disputed the charge through his credit card’s travel insurance and received a full refund. He assumed the matter was settled and hadn’t given it further thought for several weeks until he received a message from the restaurant on social media.
He was deeply disappointed by the restaurant’s lack of empathy and decided to share his experience publicly, including the private conversation with Royle. In turn, this resulted in significant adverse publicity for the restaurant and Royle, and it’s understandable, given the full context of the message.
https://twitter.com/trevorshowvan/status/1760769183078310031
“Hi, Trevor. I own TABLE restaurant in Boston,” Royle wrote in the Instagram DM. “I just wanted to personally thank you for screwing over my restaurant and my staff when you disputed your cancellation fee.
“I really hope in the future you have more respect for restaurants, especially small businesses such as mine. Pathetic,” the restaurant owner added.
In talking with the Boston Herald, Chauvin-Decaro emphasized that his cancellation was due to unexpected circumstances beyond his control, which he believed fell under his travel insurance coverage; Chase did, too.
He criticized Royle’s response to his complaint as unprofessional and unreasonable, emphasizing that the restaurant owner’s behavior was inappropriate and unacceptable towards a potential customer.
After a back-and-forth shared and threaded by Chauvin-Decaro on Twitter/X, the restaurant and Royle are now threatening legal action.
“We privately messaged you and you chose to take this public,” the restaurant wrote. “The amount of slander that the business is receiving is absolutely horrific. You will be hearing from our lawyers.”
