Black customers told to pay before dining at Denny’s restaurant

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Denny’s has fired some of its employees at a Washington restaurant after a racist incident allegedly took place there on Wednesday.

Palmer Pellham posted about the incident on Facebook on Thursday, describing how he and his wife, Esther, saw the racist treatment that four African-American men were subjected to when they came into the restaurant.

Pellham described how he and his wife were seated quickly, since the restaurant was empty except for them and one other table.

“A few minutes after we sat down four young African American men walk in to eat. They have to wait about 10 minutes, even though the restaurant is empty, to be seated,” Pellham wrote, adding that two white men who came in after that group were immediately seated.

Pellham said that after the waitress had taken the group’s orders, however, the racism became more blatant.

“She then asks for them to pay before the cook will prepare their food,” Pellham said. “She says that she has had several people order food and leave without paying so her manager said she had to have them pay first.”

Pellham described how the young men asked to see the manager, saying, “The young men did not make a scene or disrupt other people. They were complaining a little bit but quietly.”

Finally, Pellham and his wife had had enough, and they asked to be able to pay for their food and leave, berating the waitress for her behavior in the process.

“Her manager finally turned around and told her not to talk to me. I finished paying and said that I was never going to Denny’s again. They young men thanked us as we left,” Pellham said.

The post has since gone viral, and Denny’s responded to the story on Saturday, writing, “We are deeply disappointed and outraged by the situation that took place at our independently-owned franchise restaurant in Federal Way, Washington.”

“Denny’s has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. This type of behavior is unacceptable for any reason and is clearly inconsistent with our practices and policies,” the company added. “After a swift investigation, the employees involved in this incident are no longer employed by our franchisee and no longer a part of the Denny’s system.”