New Orleans Restaurant Apologizes for Racial Slur on Receipt
NEW ORLEANS, May 22 (UPI) — A New Orleans restaurant said an employee was fired after a customer discovered a racial slur and “100% dislike” written on her receipt.
Liryca Neville Branch, 33, discovered the slur and the “dislike” comment printed on her receipt under “Thin Catfish Platter” Thursday afternoon at Huck Finn’s Restaurant & Sports Bar.
The customer told WWL-TV she and the three coworkers she was dining with asked the manager why the server wasn’t being fired on the spot, and the manager responded it was the person’s “last shift.”
“This is unacceptable. I couldn’t sleep last night,” Branch told the New York Daily News. “It’s 2015. You would think that we wouldn’t have to deal with this stuff right now. It just shows that racism is alive and well.”
The receipt was shown to friends and family members, who posted pictures to social media. The pictures have been shared and retweeted thousands of times.
The restaurant released a statement on its website Thursday night:
“Huck Finn’s Cafe is shocked and appalled at the actions of one of its employees, who was terminated immediately after management found out they violated company policy. Huck Finn’s Cafe is committed to treating everyone, employees and customers alike, with dignity and respect. The unfortunate actions of this one employee do not mirror the mission of Huck Finn’s Cafe’s firm non-discrimination policy, and we are extremely apologetic for any inconvenience this may have caused. We have been serving customers from around the world for more than 6 years, and our employees work their hardest to go above and beyond to ensure visitors have a pleasant and respectful experience at Huck Finn’s Cafe.”
A post on the eatery’s Twitter account said managers are “working around the clock to rectify the situation.”
