Sicilian Town Bans Pushy Waiters From Sidewalks

It's not uncommon to see waiters in popular tourist destinations in Italy standing outside their restaurants, calling people to come in and eat. One town in Sicily has had enough of the shouting servers, however, and local authorities banned waiters from shouting on the sidewalks.

Servers calling customers from the sidewalk can make a big difference in business for restaurants in popular tourist areas. For an indecisive traveler trying to choose a place to eat, a friendly server shouting "Come eat here!" can make the selection easy. But there's a fine line between friendly and pushy, and sometimes they get carried away.

According to The Local, in August there was an enormous brawl between two rival restaurants in the popular seaside resort town of Taormina, Sicily. Seven people were arrested, and footage showed servers from both restaurants punching, kicking, and throwing each other, while bewildered tourists jumped up from their tables and ran away.

Footage of the brawl went viral across Italian social media. Police said they weren't sure what had started the fight, but that it was "probably linked to the desire to attract more customers," according to The Local.

The two restaurants were ordered closed for 10 and six days as punishment.

Now mayor Eligio Giardina has passed a regulation requiring restaurateurs to put up railings demarcating their restaurants' property lines. It's one of many odd food and drink laws around the world. Staff are still allowed to call out to passing tourists, but they must stay within the railings. Restaurants can be fined up to 500 euros and ordered closed for up to five days if their employees go outside the lines to welcome customers.