Red Robin restaurant manager allegedly assaults customer eating dinner in Prince George

Police are investigating the alleged assault of a customer by a manager at a popular family restaurant in Prince George, B.C., during supper time on Sunday. 

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said RCMP were called to Red Robin on March 5, but no arrests were made.

Kassandra Warnke was at the restaurant at the time of the incident.

She said a man — whom both she and the company later identified as a Red Robin manager — threw food, including cheese sauce, at a male customer who was sitting next to his young daughter, in a booth with his family.

Warnke told CBC News she could see the diner was "covered in food, some sort of cheese sauce."

She said the assailant then started hitting the customer, "trying to throw in a punch wherever he could."

"I heard a child screaming and a woman yelling, 'get off of him! get off of him!'" said Warnke. "I was shocked. It just kind of got my heart going."

Warnke said two men waiting to be seated were able to pull the attacker off the customer. She said he then "stormed" past her as he went into the kitchen. 

"He looked angry and I could see some tears."

Janet Hillgartner, the wife of the alleged victim, later posted a lengthy account of the incident to a social media group for Prince George restaurant reviews. 

In an interview with CBC News, Hillgartner said her family went for dinner at Red Robin on Sunday to mark the end of her seven-year-old son's hockey season, and to take their minds off the recent death of their pet dog.

Early on in the meal, she said her family could hear a "commotion" in the kitchen, where a manager was "swearing loudly" at one of the kitchen workers, who then left the restaurant. 

Later, when the manager came to their table, Hillgartner complained about a cheese sauce they had ordered. 

'Tried to throw a punch'

She said her husband then told the manager he owed an apology to his staff and customers for swearing in the kitchen. 

"My husband said, 'hey, it's not cool to treat your staff that way and you shouldn't have to be asked to give an apology.'"

Hillgartner said the manager responded that he'd had a bad day and started to walk away.

Then, she said, the manager turned around suddenly and "chucks the cheese sauce at my husband's chest before jumping on him. The manager pulled back his fist and tried to hit him. He didn't land a punch, but he's leaning right over my husband, and my daughter was stuck behind them in the booth."

Warnke, who was nearby, said police were called and serving staff asked customers to leave before closing the restaurant. 

"There was a lot of commotion. I saw a couple of kids having anxiety attacks," said Warnke. 

Staff offered counselling

B.C. Emergency Health Services said it responded to a call from the restaurant about a fall, and paramedics took one patient to hospital. 

In a statement posted to social media and sent to CBC News, Brian Crawford, vice-president operations for Infinity RRGB Ventures Inc, which operates Red Robin restaurants in B.C., said the company was "horrified" to hear of the incident.

Crawford thanked staff members and the customers "who rushed to the aid of the family." 

He said, "the manager in question" is no longer employed by the company and that Red Robin is "fully co-operating with local authorities.

"We take this incident extremely seriously." 

Crawford said he personally contacted Hillgartner's family, and the restaurant was closed for a day-and-a-half so staff could be offered counselling.

Warnke said the whole incident felt "so surreal."

"I woke up thinking it was a dream. I felt sadness. No one deserves to come in for dinner and be treated that way."

RCMP interviewed Hillgartner's husband, but she said the family doesn't want charges laid. 

"The manager's probably had the worst day of his life. I hope he can get help," she said.