A Las Vegas restaurant has apologized after a Bluey-themed event went terribly wrong and ruined the day for both parents and children.
Popular restaurant chain Dirt Dog hosted a free event on May 11 promoting games, treats, face painting and the chance to meet Bluey, the extremely popular Australian cartoon dog for children.
However, the operation started heading south when about 3,000 people responded to the restaurant’s Facebook event and the staff became completely overwhelmed as hundreds of parents and children lined up further down the line to meet Bluey.
Much to the disappointment of these guests, when they got to the front of the line, they were greeted by “a man in a romper,” as described by one disappointed customer.
Popular restaurant chain Dirt Dog hosted a free event on May 11 promoting games, treats, face painting and the chance to meet Bluey, the extremely popular Australian cartoon dog for children
In addition, the face painting was done poorly by the eatery’s untrained staff, and the children’s treats were gone before everyone got inside.
Some parents also complained about the cleanliness of the restaurant and the man in the Bluey costume’s apparent disinterest in the children.
Outraged customers flooded the restaurant’s Facebook page with negative reviews of the event.
‘I understand they had to be quick designs, but whiskers and a paw print? The promised “treats” were cupcakes that you had to pay for. We saw no games and no activities,” one parent wrote.
‘Temu Bluey costume and decorations from Dollar Tree on display at Dirt Dog Las Vegas Rainbow! Thanks for ruining my three year old’s day!’ wrote another scorned mother.
‘My son was devastated and I’ve already driven for 45 minutes. We love dirty dogs… but this time, my friends, you ruined it. Poor marketing, poor thinking, you really disappointed my son,” a third wrote.
The negative response was so overwhelming and so public that the restaurant’s marketing team felt compelled to make a statement.
Taj Wilder told a local television station that staff had expected only 50 to 60 people, despite the thousands who responded on the Facebook page.
“We are truly sorry that this event was not the expected experience,” the restaurant wrote in an apology on its social channels.
‘We were overwhelmed by the turnout for this event. We will continue to improve our events so that we can ensure that something like this does not happen again in the future.”
Much to those guests’ disappointment, when they got to the front of the line, they were greeted by “a man in a romper,” as described by one disappointed customer.
About 3,000 people responded to the restaurant’s Facebook post advertising a free Bluey-themed event for parents and kids
Popular California and Nevada restaurant chain Dirt Dog hosted the disappointing event – pictured here is an example of the chain’s location in Las Vegas
The staff was overwhelmed by the number of families showing up and running out of supplies
While many attendees were disappointed by the experience, others were grateful for the effort and appreciated that the restaurant hosted a free event for local families
The minor disaster of an event in Vegas had similar echoes to the now globally infamous Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Experience event in Glasgow that took place several months ago.
The event sparked dozens of memes and was even referenced in the House of Commons by Tory MP Penny Mordaunt after it hit the headlines in February when children were wrongly promised unlimited sweets at a warehouse.
The Glasgow event, organized by House of Illuminati and businessman Billy Coull, was halted after just half a day when police were called by angry parents.
Despite organizers posting photos of thousands of candies on social media in the days leading up to the event, one parent claimed their children only received a few jelly babies and a quarter can of Barr’s limeade.
Instead of a whimsical world of wonder, children were led through a sad, mostly empty warehouse populated by distraught families and overwhelmed actors.