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California waiter fired for asking diners for proof of residency

Posted at 4:18 PM, Mar 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-20 16:18:53-04

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — A California waiter has been fired after asking patrons at a Huntington Beach restaurant for proof of residency when they ordered a drink.

The exchange happened at the Saint Marc pub-café on March 11, according to CNN affiliate KABC.

“The fact that he said, ‘I need to make sure you’re from here before I serve you,’ was completely unacceptable,” Diana Carrillo wrote on Facebook after visiting the Pacific Coast Highway restaurant last Saturday with two friends.

In a reply to a comment about the incident on their verified Facebook page, the restaurant said:

“In no way are the actions of this former employee representative of the Saint Marc brand nor are they reflective of the opinions of anyone else on our team, including executive management. We have always celebrated being part of the diverse Huntington Beach community, which means valuing all guests and treating every individual with respect.”

In the post, Saint Marc the pub-café called the incident “very unfortunate” and said they had terminated “the employee at fault.”

“In no way are the actions of this former employee representative of the Saint Marc brand nor are they reflective of the opinions of anyone else on our team, including executive management,” the comment said.

“I looked at my friend and sister and I said ‘Did he really just ask us this?’ They said yeah, he asked us the same thing,” Carrillo told KABC. After complaining to the restaurant manager, they were told they could sit in another section, KABC reported.

Shaken by the incident, the diners left the restaurant before eating, according to KABC.

To make amends, the restaurant said they contacted Carrillo and plan to make a donation to the Orange County Immigrant Youth United, Carrillo’s charity of choice.