Multiple Five Guys employees have been fired or suspended after refusing to serve police officers at an Alabama location last week.
It’s alleged that six or seven employees at the Daphne restaurant turned their backs on three officers when they came in to purchase food on the night of July 7, according to Fox 10.
One officer claims that an employee said “I’m not serving them,” before they left and went to a different restaurant in the city.
The restaurant location in question was not open for dine-in but offered curbside, takeout and delivery services. Masks remain required for entry, Fox 8 reports.
The hamburger chain released a statement on Facebook on Friday saying the employees had been suspended or terminated and that it and the Daphne Police Department are “working together toward a resolution.”
“The store has temporarily closed for further education and customer service training with a representative from the Daphne Police Department and will reopen at 4 p.m. today, July 10th,” the statement reads. “As we uphold our commitment to fair, respectful and equal treatment for all customers, please know that the actions and sentiments of a few employees in Daphne, Al. do not represent Five Guys or the local franchisee.”
The local police department also released a since-deleted statement on Facebook saying it appreciates “the outpouring of support from our community and from supporters of Law Enforcement across the country.”
“To clarify some misinformation that has been spread on social media … The three officers became aware of the mask requirement. They returned to their vehicles to obtain masks,” the statement reads. “All three officers were wearing masks the entire time they were inside of the establishment. The events that occurred while the officers were in the restaurant were unfortunate.
“We will continue to work with Five Guys on this matter towards resolution once all the facts are known.”
Speaking to News 5, a representative of the Daphne Police Department confirmed that members of the department met with employees last week and “things went very well.”
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