Two restaurants serve alcohol to minors: Industry plays PR defense

To recap, an Applebee’s in Michigan gave a 15-month-old boy a sippy cup filled with tequila-spiked apple juice, and a Florida Olive Garden served sangria to a 2-year-old.

The media jumped on both because, as PR consultant Katherine Paine told USA Today: “It’s too good a story. It’s got babies, alcohol and food.”

Take it from a Web editor—the only way these stories could generate more page views would be if there were a puppy and/or an escaped cobra involved.