Marquise Vanzego decided to go to a Chick-fil-A in La Plata, Maryland. He went to the restaurant's drive-thru to place an order. He told the person taking his order that his name was "Marquise." However, when Vanzego received his food, written on his receipt was the word "Monkeys."
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Vanzego would explain the aftermath of the incident on his Facebook page. "I immediately spoke to a lady who identified herself as the manager on duty. But never gave her name even though the incident was being recorded. She did apologize and agreed that there is no excuse. And that 'Monkeys' is not even close to 'Marquise,'" the post begins.
"This manager also reached in my van and pulled the label off my bag, which was evidence to prove the racial name given to me by the young man that took my order and further stated that she would issue a refund for what she called an inconvenience. This racist and derogatory labeling is not only deeply offensive but also humiliating as a 52-year-old African American adult male.
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"The sheer hurt of seeing that word takes me back to a painful history, one where my ancestors endured the same dehumanizing racism that was meant to strip away their dignity. The fact that such a vile slur was used so casually in this day and age is a stark reminder that the trauma of those times is still very much alive."
A Chick-Fil-A Employee Allegedly Writes A Slur On A Customer's Receipt
After reporting the incident and recording his interaction with the supervisor, he was given a refund. Subsequently, in a conversation with the store's owner, Vanzego relayed the following interaction. "When I asked [the owner] if the team member that took my order will be terminated, his response was, 'No, I spoke with him. He's 17 years old and told me that he put down the name he thought he heard you say, so I stand with him and will not terminate him.'"
A spokesperson representing Chick-fil-A issued the following statement to Atlanta Black Star. "[The restaurant is] independently franchised and operated. The franchisee of this restaurant has apologized to the guest. However, this experience does not meet our expectations and is unacceptable."
