A police officer was recently denied service at the fast food restaurant Arby’s for one simple reason: she was in uniform.
Sergeant Jennifer Martin of the Pembroke Pines police department in Florida utilized the chain restaurant’s drive-through to order lunch. After handing over her credit card to the clerk to pay, the manager approached Martin and informed her that the clerk didn’t want to serve her the food because she was a police officer. The manager then handed Martin her food and laughed as he explained that they clerk had every right to refuse service.
Upset, Martin parked her vehicle and went inside of the restaurant where she received a refund and the contact information of the manager. Once she returned to the police department, she informed the police chief, Dan Giustino, of the incident. Giustino contacted the corporate office of Arby’s, who then issued a full statement and an apology over the matter, stating the behavior of the clerk and manager was unacceptable.
Several days later, the local franchise of McDonald’s showed their support and gratitude for the police department by providing breakfast and lunch for the entire department. The department also received an outpouring of support from the local community with Facebook messages, cards, treats and food.
The clerk responsible for the matter, Kenny Davenport, claims that the entire situation has been misconstrued. He stepped away and asked his manager for help in delivering the food due to the restaurant being extremely busy. The manager said that the statement she made was in jest.
Arby’s is currently investigating the situation and promises better training to its employees to avoid this situation from occurring again.