Culture

IHOP N-Word Receipt

The breakfast chain's apology was a $10 gift card

By Tasting Table Staff/

After picking up a to-go order at a Kansas City IHOP, an African American customer received a shock upon closer examination of her receipt: Printed in all-capital letters at the top of her order was the N-word.

According to Grub Street, customer Maya Thomas didn't actually notice the slur until after she had picked up her meal. Thomas reached out to upper-level management to report the issue, and as a result, the server in question, whom IHOP was quick to clarify is also African American, has been fired for being "in direct violation of their policy."

The chain restaurant also issued Thomas a $10 gift certificate as compensation, which barely covers the charge of an Original Full Stack order. For Thomas, that gesture was worse than the actual offense. Her mother tells The Kansas City Star, "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?" 

This is yet another incident of reported racism that's been happening at restaurants in recent months. In April, a student at the University of North Texas also received a receipt printed with the racial slur, this time from an on-campus resto, while in February two women in Missouri dealt with racial profiling at an Applebee's. And, of course, Starbucks recently made national news after two African American men were arrested in one of its cafés.

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