In a story that has now gone viral and attracted media coverage across the nation, Saturday, Oct. 26 a group of 18, 12 youths and six adults, encountered racism at Buffalo Wild Wings in Naperville.
Upon entering the restaurant, an employee asked the group what race they were because there were two regular customers who were racist and didn’t want to sit next to minorities. After being seated, an assistant manager attempted to move the group of 18 by falsely claiming the tables were previously reserved for others. The group remained seated and talked with the managers before finally deciding to leave an establishment where they weren’t clearly accepted.
Jason Crane/The Voice
“In 2019, we had to take our boys and walk out of a restaurant where they weren’t wanted because of the color of their skin,” said parent Justin Vahl.
A Facebook post by parent Mary Vahl the next morning detailing the incident went viral and caught the attention of media outlets throughout the nation.
After facing massive backlash, Buffalo Wild Wings conducted an internal investigation and announced yesterday that the employees involved in the incident were terminated.
“No one should experience what we experienced that day with racism,” said Ethan, 10.