A Kansas mother says she was furious after her toddler daughter was kissed by a restaurant owner during the child’s birthday celebration, moments before the man allegedly blew out the girl’s candle and later cursed at the family.
Cassie Berrios said the troubling encounter happened Aug. 28 during her daughter’s 2nd birthday party at Stearman Field Bar & Grill in Benton, Kan.
According to video obtained by KAKE, servers had just brought the toddler a cup of ice cream with a lit candle on top when a man approached from behind and kissed the child on the cheek.
“While attempting to blow out her candle a MAN who has now been identified as the Very owner of Stearman Bar and Grill, approached my TODDLER enjoying her moment by putting his arm around her, called her beautiful and attempted to give her a kiss on her innocent lips,” Berrios wrote on Facebook.
Berrios said her daughter turned her head at the last second, causing the man to kiss her right cheek instead, “but still very near her lips.”
The man, whom the restaurant later described as its “equity holder,” then blew out the child’s candle as the adults seated around the table appeared stunned.
A relative quickly wiped the toddler’s cheek where she had been kissed, and Berrios said she confronted the man, warning him not to go around kissing other people’s children.
The mother also alleged that the man tried to touch the girl again before someone stepped in and blocked him.
“(He) responded by clearly ignoring what I just said and attempted to touch her again but failed as I was guarding her, in response he told me to “ go F–k myself,” the mother wrote.
After the vulgar confrontation, the man walked out of the bar with another woman who had witnessed the encounter but didn’t stop him.
No arrests have been made but police have opened an investigation after being called to the bar after reports of a battery on a child, KAKE reported.
The mother accused the man of being drunk but said workers told her that he didn’t have too much to drink while at the bar.
“The staff of the restaurant did not seemed surprised by this man’s gross actions and were very quick to inform us that he was the Owner of Stearman Restaurant,” the mother wrote.
“I’m sharing this to inform others of this Disgusting humans actions and to be cautions and aware that he owns many restaurants and treats customers and most likely people in his Day to Day life with so little respect,” she said.
The bar spoke addressed the accusations and the now-viral video, confirming that the man was an “equity owner” in the establishment.
“The safety and satisfaction of our customers is our highest priority. We are taking steps to ensure that this type of conduct does not happen again,” the establishment said, speaking on behalf of the owner group.
“Please be assured that the actions of one individual are not a reflection of the goodwill and hospitality of our other 400 incredible employees,” the statement said.
The man is believed to own A&M Management Group, which operates several restaurants in the surrounding Wichita area.
The bar sits at the north end of the runway at Stearman Field Airport 20 miles northeast of Wichita, Kan.
