Coupon problem

oupon problem

I’m writing to make sure as many people as possible know about an unfortunate situation in Whitefish that involves Tupelo Grille. Early in 2008, a coupon book appeared for sale which offered two-for-one deals at a variety of restaurants. Tupelo Grille was one of the restaurants listed, but unfortunately the owner of the restaurant, Pat Carloss, did not authorize this coupon. He wasn’t even aware of it before coupons suddenly began to appear.

I know Pat well, and I can tell you that he agonized over what to do when this came to his attention. Giving away a few free meals may not sound like a big concern, but Tupelo had no idea how many of these coupon books had been sold. To make matters worse, the coupon was printed in such a manner that it would have been easy to photocopy. 

If you were a business owner, how would you feel about this? What would you do?

Some might have been tempted to sue the organization that made this (essentially illegal) commitment for Tupelo, but Pat had no desire to pursue that course of action. Tupelo agreed to honor the coupons for a limited amount of time (ending in mid-June after several months) with the understanding that the group who sold the coupons would notify the buyers. Tupelo also posted a sign at the front of the restaurant in a good faith effort to notify patrons. 

Unfortunately, some people have been denied use of the coupons and feel that they have been cheated or misled. 

My plea is simple — don’t punish Tupelo for this. Pat and Missy Carloss are some of the most generous and community-minded people we have in Whitefish. We need more people like them, and we need to be understanding and not take unfair advantage of them. Don’t blame them for a problem they did not cause.

Cody Benkelman

Whitefish