January 7th 2024.
Keisha Mitchell and Elvis Polley were shocked when they stopped at an IHOP in Mesquite, TX to celebrate Polley’s 49th birthday and were told by a server that they would not be served because of the color of their skin. Mitchell said, “We were told that we were not going to be serviced because of our color. It is a shock, and your brain is not processing what you’re hearing.”
Mitchell pushed back against the IHOP manager on duty’s claim that the server was simply “picky” about who she serves. Mitchell stated, “She didn’t want to say she was racist, she said she’s 'picky.' No, that’s not being 'picky' if you’re selecting only a certain group of people that you want to serve.” The conversation was recorded in a video taken by Mitchell.
IHOP’s parent company, Anthraper Restaurants, was displeased at what occurred and sent a statement to CBS Texas. The statement read, “Since our founding, we have strived to create warm and hospitable dining experiences for all guests, and we have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind, or actions that allude to any form of discrimination. We have fully investigated this matter and taken appropriate actions, including termination of the employees involved. This isolated incident is not reflective of our ongoing commitment to our guests and Team Members. Additionally, we will be providing additional anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training, ensuring that all remaining Team Members understand the company’s unwavering intolerance of any prohibited form of discrimination.”
The couple said that IHOP did the right thing by firing the employees involved, including the manager and another waitress, but they believe the damage has already been done. Polley said that he has been having trouble sleeping since the incident occurred, and Mitchell questions how much progress America has made in terms of racial equality and treating people fairly. Mitchell concluded, “It opened the door that I never wanted to walk through. Have we, have we come as far as we think? Or is it just being hidden more?”
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