>> Not if he got bad service.....
>
>I agree but I don't think that was the case in this situation.

Obviously, both sides have their own versions of what the dispute was about.
The diner was obviously upset about SOMETHING about the service; the owner's
statement to the press that the diner (or his party) were obnoxious is HIS read
on the incident. The diner had a different view and expressed it by
discounting the tip.

(I still don't understand why a large party should pay a higher than average
percentage in a tip. The volume is greater, so one would expect a bulk
discount, not a surcharge.)

One interpretation that I haven't heard expressed is that the owner was
performing for the sake of his staff. He wanted to show the extent to which he
would back them up in a conflict, so he picked a fight with a patron who (in
his view) had given trouble to his staff.

Neil