A server at an IHOP in Missouri recently referred to a black teenage diner as the n-word on her receipt. As an act of reparation, the restaurant sent the customer a gift card valued at $10.
Maya Thomas was given the offensive receipt after picking up her take-out order from the Grandview dining establishment. Speaking with the Kansas City Star, Thomas' mother reveals how her daughter seemed "distraught and upset" when she showed her the piece of paper, which effectively angered the parent.
Days after calling the chain and complaining about the careless racial slur, Thomas received a $10 gift card in the mail. "I think that’s really what made her mad" her mother reveals. "Of all the things you could call someone, you call them that. And then the way you deal with it is by giving them 10 dollars?"
As a result, the mother posted an image of the receipt on social media, where it quickly went viral. In response, the chain's president Darren Rebelez released a statement deeming the server's actions "inexcusable." "IHOP and its franchisees do not and will not tolerate racism, bigotry or harassment of any kind."
The server, who is also black, was promptly fired following the incident.