Manhattan Fish Market apologises after refusing Mother’s Day offer to family because ‘the father is missing’

The Manhattan Fish Market (MFM) restaurant chain has apologised to a family after refusing to allow them to enjoy its Mother’s Day offer because the father was not present.

On Wednesday (5 June), Facebook user Mellissa Seah expressed her disappointment with the way her family was treated at the MFM outlet at Terminal 1 of Changi Airport. Her family decided to dine at MFM before her mother was due to fly out of Singapore.

The family chose MFM since the restaurant was not very crowded and did not have a queue. Noticing a mother’s day offer that would give diners who are mothers a free fish and chips meal, the family enquired about the offer.

They were disappointed when the MFM staff replied: “You’re not entitled to this because your family is not complete. The father is missing.”

Incensed, Ms Seah wrote on Facebook: “In MFM eyes, just because father isn’t there so our family isn’t complete. How is Mom any less deserving just because Dad wasn’t there? Can’t Mom be Dad as well?

“How about families who have lost their Mom or Dad to illness, or any other circumstances, make their family any less complete, unworthy, undeserving? How about families with 2 mommies or 2 daddies? Or children who are brought up by grandparents because they lost their parents?

“Thank you MFM for reminding me that my family isn’t complete. Not by choice. Thank you MFM for reminding Sean and Adrian that their family too, isn’t complete. Again, not by choice.

“Thank you MFM for reminding Mom that she is at fault for not maintaining her marriage so that the family can be complete. Marriage breaks down and sometimes its better to go separate ways to make a family complete again.”

Calling this incident one of the top marketing fails she has experienced, Ms Seah said that her family would never patronise MFM again in the future.

An MFM spokesperson has since apologised for the incident and cited a “gap in the relaying of information to our crew” as the reason behind the incident. The representative said:

“We have contacted Mellissa to apologise for causing unnecessary distress to her family. Mellissa’s family definitely qualifies for the promotion. We will lay out clear steps in our training processes to ensure that all crew receive adequate and clear instructions before we begin any new promotions.”

Ms Seah updated that the case has been closed and that MFM will handle the issue on their side. Sharing that her family is alright and not affected by the incident, she wrote: “What I hope to get out of this is for everyone to be more culturally sensitive and aware, that’s all. Let’s work towards building an inclusive society.

“Thank you everyone. We are really all ok and not affected by it. Everyone has their personal life stories & I hope this episode of mine allows you to stand up for a cause you believe in! All I really want to know is what the MFM brand stands for, we’ve never needed any compensation or apology.”