A disagreement over the terms of an “all you can eat” promotion at an Applebee’s restaurant in Portage, Indiana, resulted in the detention of a patron earlier this month. The incident unfolded on the night of August 2, when 28-year-old Shawneesha Cobbs and her party tried to share a single “all you can eat” offer among themselves, as reported by local law enforcement.
The police were summoned to the restaurant at approximately 8:38 p.m. in response to reports of a “verbal disturbance.” The dispatchers had briefed the responding officers about the presence of “multiple females screaming” and “threatening people.” Upon their arrival, Cobbs and her party, which included two other adults and several minors, explained to the officers that they had ordered one “all you can eat” special to share among themselves.
The promotion, which had been launched just a few days earlier on July 29, offered unlimited servings of boneless wings, riblets, double crunch shrimp, and fries for $15.99. However, the restaurant’s manager clarified to the group that each individual would need to pay for their own portion of the deal, presenting them with an updated bill to reflect the larger order.
A disagreement broke out between the manager and Cobbs’ party, with the diners alleging that the manager had behaved “very unprofessionally.” They also argued that the menu did not clearly state that the deal was “per person.” However, upon inspection of the menu, the police noticed the phrase “per person” prominently displayed in bold letters under the “all you can eat” section.
As the officers tried to mediate the situation, Cobbs identified a couple exiting the restaurant, alleging she had had a verbal dispute with them earlier. This sparked a fresh argument, during which Cobbs became “very loud and disorderly,” attracting the attention of other patrons, according to the arrest report. Despite efforts by another member of her party to pacify her, Cobbs continued to cause a disturbance.
After several warnings, Cobbs was arrested for disorderly conduct and transported to Porter County Jail. Later, a member of her party, acknowledging their misunderstanding about the terms of the “all you can eat” deal, returned to the restaurant and settled the bill in full. Applebee’s has yet to make a statement about the incident, and it is still unknown when Cobbs was released from jail or when she is expected to appear in court.