Two Black truckers allege they were discriminated against at a South Dakota Denny’s during a rest stop. They claim not only did the waitress not serve them, but she called the police and had them removed.
A video of the incident captured by one of the men showed the white woman had another waitress ask the men to leave. In their opinion, the footage showed how the woman sought to criminalize them based on their race.
“What did we do?” asked one of the truckers.
“I have no idea. I’m not in the situation, but she said, like, to make it more calm,” the server says nervously. “She said, like, you guys can kindly leave because you do have a lot of people around, or the police will be on the way … ‘cause they are.”
“But why do we have to leave?” the trucker asks. “We just came to order food.”
“I don’t know,” the server says.
“That’s not right,” he replies.
They refused to leave at first, saying they didn’t want to go before officers arrived because there would be only one account of the incident given to law enforcement.
Damon Whitfield and Hector Madera claimed that there was one other Black in the restaurant at the time who was also ignored by the same waitress.
“We poured into a pilot truck stop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to shower up and get something to eat. We were the only Black people in there. Thirty minutes goes by. Fifteen minutes etcetera. So, my partner said politely, ‘Excuse me, we are ready to order,’” Whitfield told the host of “Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey.”
According to the men, an employee said the waitress is the wife of Mike Fletcher, the district manager of the rest stop where the Denny’s is located. Fletcher heard about the incident and offered the men a free meal, which they declined.
The men reached out to Denny’s corporate office and were initially ignored until the video was posted on social media and executives were made aware and responded.
“Denny’s has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination at all Denny’s locations,” a statement was given on behalf of the restaurant by Kris Garvey Graves, managing partner FINN Partners. “We embrace diversity and foster an inclusive environment where every guest feels welcome.”
It went on to say that someone from Denny’s leadership contacted Whitfield and Madera, referring to them as “valued guests.” The person, according to the statement, assured the men that “the situation has our full attention” and is actively being investigated by the company.
Denny’s has grappled with persistent discrimination and alleged racism in its restaurants for decades. In 1993, six Black Secret Service agents sued a Denny’s in Annapolis, Maryland, for refusing to serve them.
“The suit said the six were among 21 Secret Service agents who went for breakfast at the Denny’s in Annapolis, Md., on April 1, after preparing for President Clinton’s visit to the United States Naval Academy,” reported The New York Times 30 years ago. “The restaurant served breakfast to all except the six black agents, who were sitting at the same table, although a single breakfast arrived after an hour’s wait,” the suit said.
The Harvard Business Review noted in 2021 that the publication started covering various lawsuits against the restaurant dating back to 1994. Since then, the organization has focused on enhancing talent by addressing hiring bias, expanding recruitment, and developing promotion pathways as a way to address bigoted frontline workers.
Despite their efforts, some are calling for a boycott of the restaurant, as in many of the franchises, the issues still persist.
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