Restaurant sticks up for server with autism after customers refuse service
A restaurant owner has rallied behind one of his employees after customers complained about being served by the man, who has autism.
Mike Jennings, who runs Grenache Restaurant in Manchester, U.K., recently hired Andy Foster as a server. Foster took on the job to support his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's and for whom Foster is the registered carer.
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But some customers weren't satisfied with Foster's service, asking Jennings what was "wrong with him."
"[They] seemed to have a problem with him, even though his service was good," Jennings told Manchester Evening News.
So Jennings wrote a passionate Facebook post declaring that if customers had a problem with Foster based on his autism, then they shouldn't visit Grenache at all. "You do not deserve our time, effort or RESPECT!" he wrote.
The post has garnered 2,400 Facebook Reactions and 706 shares and dozens of comments since it went up on Thursday.
"Lots of businesses could take a leaf from your book," one commenter wrote.
Foster, for his part, said he is no stranger to this type of discrimination. "I always think I have to apologise," he said.
"I try not to take it personally," he explained. "Because it has happened so many times in the past, I just got used to it."
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Chloe was the shopping editor at Mashable. She was also previously a culture reporter. You can follow her on Twitter at @chloebryan.
