Three employees at an Applebee’s restaurant in Independence, Missouri were fired after video of two black customers being racially profiled, went viral as of Monday (Feb. 11).
Alexis Brison and Asia Hardy were eating at the location inside Independence Mall over the weekend, when they were approached by a local police officer, mall security and the restaurant’s manager. The women were accused of dining and dashing a day earlier, and then returning to order more food.
An Applebee’s waitress claimed that the women fit the description of the alleged food thieves whom she described as “a skinny girl” and a “girl who wore makeup,” according to a post on Brison’s Facebook page.
“About an hour into out dinner we were approached by a Independence police officer, a mall cop, and the restaurant manager. We were told that we were accused of eating and not paying for CHICKEN the day before (dining and dashing),” Brison wrote Saturday along with footage of the incident. “Mind you, we have proof that can show our whereabouts and it’s not even in our character to steal. After being mocked, humiliated, and embarrassed we were asked to pay for our food, leave, and not come back.”
The video shows a cop speaking to Brison as Hardy as they deny stealing any food. “Make sure you get my good side,” the cop says once he sees he’s being recorded.
“This is what black people have to deal with,” Brison can be heard saying while Hardy beings crying. The cop tells Brison and Hardy that the manager wants them to pay the bill and to leave and never return.
Once Brison’s video began circulating around social media, Applebee’s responded to the outrage in a prepared statement denouncing racism, bigotry, and “harassment of any nature.”
“After an internal investigation and in-line with our values, the franchisee terminated the manager, server and another employee involved in the incident,” the company announced. “We do not tolerate racism, bigotry or harassment of any nature and we have taken additional steps to close the restaurant at this time in order for the team there to regroup, reflect, learn and grow from this.”
— Applebee’s (@Applebees) February 12, 2018