After spending 45 minutes waiting to be served, he began wondering if they were ever going to bring him his order. People who placed an order after him had already received their meals, so what was the problem?
The staff obviously didn't know who they were messing with.
He Picked A New Restaurant
One day, Karl Baker decided to have lunch at a new restaurant across the street from his house. After reading lots of positive reviews online, he was confident that the food would be fantastic there.
But as soon as he entered the establishment, he noticed some dirty looks coming from the staff.
They Took Their Sweet Time
While he didn't expect to receive his meal right away, considering how busy the restaurant was, he did notice that the servers weren't in a rush to take his order.
The staff was taking their sweet time chatting with patrons and sipping on water. In any case, Karl was starving, and he couldn't wait any longer.
His Dish Wasn't Available
Still, when the waiter approached him, Karl greeted him respectfully, who in return welcomed him with an irritated look on his face.
He told Karl that the dish he had chosen wasn't available at the moment. When he told him his second preference, the waiter rolled his eyes and said that they didn't have that either.
You Need To Leave
Karl patiently asked the server if there was anything else left on the menu that he could order. He didn't want to leave as he spent nearly half an hour waiting in line for food.
But instead of suggesting him another meal, the cashier rolled his eyes at Karl and said: “Listen, mister, if you’re not going to order, you need to leave.”
He Asked To Speak To The Manager
That’s it!” Karl said. “Can I speak to your manager?” He had had enough of his disrespectful behavior. Without saying a single word, the cashier walked towards the kitchen and asked the manager to come.
The manager gave him a blank look and said, “What’s the problem here sir, you’re holding up the people behind you.”
They Were Being Disrespectful
After that, a female cook came all the way from the kitchen and told the manager, "You better pull me off the line because I'm not serving him." Karl decided to wait and see what the manager would do, but she started laughing at him instead.
“I understand that things didn’t go your way today, sir, but that’s life. Now, if you could kindly remove yourself from my establishment. I don’t serve men like you,” she said to him. Karl was speechless. “Men like me?!” he responded in disbelief.
"Men Like You"
He was furious with the staff and demanded an explanation over her "men like you" comment.
The manager became even more cold and arrogant towards him. "I don't need to explain what I meant to anyone. Get on out now before you cause a scene," she said. The lady obviously didn't know who she was messing with. Karl wasn't going to let anyone treat him this way.
He Was A Police Officer
Karl was a police officer who worked 12-hour shifts serving the community. He noticed that people treated him much better when he had his uniform on.
He wanted to make the restaurant staff pay for disrespecting him, so he decided to return tomorrow, but this time wearing his uniform.
He Came Back
The next day, Karl entered the restaurant wearing his police uniform. He was a big guy, so the uniform made him even more intimidating.
Suddenly, everyone was happy to see him. He was greeted with a warm smile and a respectful attitude. Karl didn't say a single word and demanded that he speaks to the manager immediately.
The Story Went Viral
However, a different manager was working that day. When Karl informed her of the situation, she appeared to be disturbed and promised to carry out an internal review of her colleague's behavior.
Soon, the customers who were at the restaurant the day before began releasing the footage of the staff disrespecting Karl, and the management had to make a public statement.
Discrimination
The company's representative didn't take the manager's side. Instead, he told the media that everything that Karl said was, in fact, true.
"I don't know why the offended officer doesn't sue for $150,000. This is NO DIFFERENT than the Oregon bakery's refusing to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. Discrimination is discrimination!" one person wrote.
Two Employees Were Dismissed
The management released the following public statement: “We are working with the appropriate authorities and local police association representatives to get to the bottom of and resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”
“We have concluded the two team members in question acted inappropriately, and we immediately terminated their employment,” the team continued.
Karl's Opinion
“We have the utmost respect for law enforcement officials and value the relationship we have built with the local Alexandria Police Department over the years.”
But Karl doesn't want people to stop supporting the restaurant. He just wants to put an end to racism and discrimination.
Take The High Road
“Take the high road!” Karl said.
"The actions of a few do not equate to the actions of many." We can only hope that the restaurant won't treat any patrons this way again.