Business ProfileforSlick Mick's Bar and Grill

I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. I was in the airport flying back from a speaking engagement. I wanted to grab something to eat, so I sat at the bar at Slick Mick's in the Fort Walton Beach Airport, as there were no other seats in the direct portion of the restaurant. Upon sitting down, the bartender, Laura, asked me what I wanted to drink. I said, "I'll take a Sprite, and I'm going to order food." She responds, "You can't sit at the bar unless you are ordering alcohol." I said, "Excuse me?!" I really thought I was not hearing her correctly. She reiterated, "It's a rule. You can't sit at the bar unless you are ordering. alcohol." I replied, "Lady, I have travelled the world, and I have never been told that I have to order alcohol while sitting at the bar of a restaurant. I am ordering Sprite and food." She responds, "Yea well, if I do it for you then everyone else will want to sit at the bar and not order alcohol. I get paid from the alcohol." I said, "I am going to leave a tip. But I need you to show me where it says that in the restaurant policy that you have to order alcohol in order to sit at the bar so I can see it for myself." She calls over the manager, Carla, and explains the situation. So, I said, "Carla, it is true that I can't sit at the bar and order soft drinks and food; I must order alcohol? If so, please show it to me in the policy." Carla was shocked and said to Laura, "Just take his order." Then, Laura proceeded to argue with her manager, saying, "If I make this exception for him, people will bring their children and want to order food at the bar." At that point, I'm flabbergasted and respond, "Never mind, I don't even want anything at this point... If I can't do anything, I know how to write a letter to corporate, and I will let them know of your behaviour."