A restaurant in Australia has demanded patrons order their own meal and a drink with their dessert.

Martin Duncan who owns Freestyle Tout in Brisbane said customers drinking "just tap water" and large groups taking up space were chewing up profits at his restaurant.

A post on the restaurant's Facebook page detailed the new conditions and was unapologetic for the controversial stance:

"Sorry to put it plainly but large groups not eating or drinking does not pay our rent or the wages of our fabulous staff. If you must share please purchase a drink," it read.

Duncan defended his stance to News Corporation, saying inconsiderate customers were costing him too much.

"I don’t want to offend anyone by it, but at the end of the day I have to pay rent, a huge power bill and wages," he said. “We can’t survive with people using us as a meeting place. It doesn’t sustain my business if they just drink tap water.”

While some loyal clientele backed Duncan's announcement, most customers took to social media to express their disgust at being told how to spend their money.

Fuck #freestyletout Your desserts aren't that great anyway. Now pour me some fucking tap water. #rankcall — Corey Lewis (@lewis_corey) August 13, 2014

Duncan then took to Facebook again to clarify his earlier remarks, as customers said they wouldn't be coming back to the restaurant known for its desserts. He said his words were directed at large groups of eight to 20 people who share a few coffees and a couple of desserts while paying customers wait in line.

"It would seem that my comments on our Freestyle Tout Facebook regarding customers ordering at Freestyle Tout have been a little misconstrued," he wrote. "To help set the record straight there are no ‘rules’ regarding dining at Freestyle Tout. We are in the business of hospitality and as such, everyone is welcome whether you are part of a large group, a solo diner or a small party of two."

But Duncan did not retract his initial statement, saying, "Having said that, we are also a business with staff wages and rent to pay."

He said it is a common gripe across the restaurant industry. "This is an issue not just limited to our business, many of my fellow restaurateurs have shared similar stories with me."

Image: Getty Images

A food blogger, Kerry Heany from Eat, drink+beKerry told ABC Radio that people had to understand a restaurant was not their palace and the business should be respected.

“When you have got a busy restaurant and people come in and only order a small amount of food or want to share something ... When margins are tight and rents are high, I can see it causes a problem,“ Heany said in defence of Duncan's request.

“It is a double-edged sword. They are not raking in the money. They are not mega millionaires from running a restaurant. No one running a restaurant earns a huge amount of money, they do it because they love it. So there needs to be a bit of give and take.”