Miss Grand International 2025 Emma Tiglao shares a disappointing dining experience involving a restaurant staff member, prompting a public response from the establishment involved.
In a Facebook post published earlier today, Emma recounts what she describes as an upsetting encounter while dining with her family at Crabs N Crack Seafood House, specifically at its Infinity branch in Angeles, Pampanga.
Emma begins her post by explaining why she chose to speak publicly about the incident.
“I don’t usually rant online, but I believe this experience is worth sharing so others can be aware and hopefully so we can all learn from it,” she writes.
According to the beauty queen, she and her family had gone out for lunch earlier that day, looking forward to enjoying seafood together.
“Earlier today, my family and I had lunch at Crabs N Crack (Infinity Branch). Seafood is actually one of our favorites, so we were excited and ordered Bundle A and B with chili garlic, Cajun, and butter garlic sauce,” she says.
However, Emma said the order they received was not exactly what they had requested.
“When the food arrived, the order was different from what we requested. Instead of chili garlic, it came with two Cajun and one butter garlic,” she explains.
Despite the mix-up, Emma emphasizes that they handled the situation politely.
“We politely mentioned the mistake, but we were told it could no longer be changed because it had already been prepared,” she adds.
Not wanting to complicate matters, Emma says they asked for a small adjustment instead.
“Since we didn’t want to make things complicated, we simply asked if we could have a little chili garlic sauce on the side instead.”
She adds that the restaurant staff did apologize and accommodated their request.
“To their credit, the staff acknowledged the mistake and gave the sauce as a complimentary request. We appreciated that gesture.”
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Alleged remark leaves Emma shaken
While the situation initially seemed resolved, Emma says the experience took an unpleasant turn when they were preparing to leave the restaurant.
“However, while we were preparing to have the food packed for takeout, the waiter who handled our order said, ‘ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA,’” she relates.
The phrase is commonly used in Filipino as an insult implying someone is shameless or audacious.
Emma admits the remark caught her completely off guard.
“In that moment, my heart started racing and my hands turned cold,” she recalls.
According to her, she is generally not someone who seeks confrontation but felt the situation highlighted the importance of mutual respect.
“I’m not someone who looks for conflict, but I also believe that respect should never be optional,” she notes.
Emma also reflects on the situation from the perspective of someone who runs a business herself.
“As a business owner myself, we always remind our team that no matter how busy or stressful the day gets, we must always treat customers with kindness and professionalism.”
She points out that brief encounters in customer service can leave a lasting impression.
“A single moment of disrespect can stay with someone longer than we think,” she writes.
Emma also addresses the waiter involved directly in her post: “To the waiter who said those words, I genuinely hope this becomes a lesson not just for you, but for all of us in the service industry.”
She highlights how respect should always remain at the center of interactions between people.
“We are all human, and we all deserve to be treated with dignity.”
In a message directed at the staff member, she continued: “CUSTOMER KA RIN KUYA AT FOR SURE AYAW MO RIN NA GAWIN SAYO YUNG GINAWA MO SA AKIN.”
(“You are also a customer somewhere, and surely you wouldn’t want someone to treat you the way you treated me.”)
Despite the upsetting moment, Emma says that a member of the restaurant’s management did attempt to address the situation.
“I also want to acknowledge that the assistant manager apologized for the waiter’s manner, which we appreciate,” she wrote.
Emma ends her post with a broader message encouraging kindness and understanding.
“Let’s all choose patience, kindness, and respect in every interaction.”
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Crabs N Crack releases official statement
Following Emma’s post, Crabs N Crack Seafood House released an official statement addressing the incident.
The restaurant begins by apologizing to the singer and her family.
“We sincerely apologize to Ms. Emma Tiglao and her family for the experience they had during their recent visit to our Infinity branch,” the statement reads.
According to the restaurant, the behavior described in Emma’s account does not represent the standards they aim to uphold.
“At Crabs N Crack, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of hospitality and respect for every guest,” the management writes.
“The behavior described in Ms. Tiglao’s post does not reflect the values that our brand stands for, and we deeply regret that this incident occurred.”
The restaurant said management promptly looked into the complaint after it was brought to their attention.
“Upon learning about the matter, our management team immediately conducted an internal review.”
Additionally, steps have already been taken regarding the staff member involved.
“The staff member involved has been dealt with accordingly, and we are reinforcing our service protocols and training across the team to ensure that professionalism, courtesy, and respect are upheld at all times.”
The restaurant then expresses appreciation for Emma’s acknowledgement of the apology extended by the assistant manager on duty.
“We are grateful to Ms. Tiglao for acknowledging the apology extended by our assistant manager on site, and we thank her for bringing this concern forward.”
Management says guest concerns serve as an opportunity for the company to review its practices and address shortcomings.
“Feedback such as this allows us to take accountability and continue improving the experience we provide to our guests.”
In its statement, Crabs N Crack also echoes Emma’s reminder about the importance of respect in service interactions: “We thank Ms. Tiglao for reminding us of the importance of patience, kindness, and respect in the service industry.
“As a brand, we remain committed to ensuring that every guest who dines with us feels welcomed, valued, and treated with dignity.
“We remain committed to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for everyone who chooses to dine with us.”
Emma’s post and the restaurant’s response have since drawn reactions from netizens online, with many discussing the importance of professionalism in the service industry and respectful communication between customers and staff.
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