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A worker at a Hooters in Queens, N.Y., resigned after identifying a Korean-American man and his girlfriend with a racial slur.
A Korean-American man is suing a Hooters restaurant in Queens after a worker there identified him and his girlfriend on a receipt using a slur referring to Asians, they allege.
Kisuk Cha, 25, and his girlfriend, both Korean immigrants, placed a to-go order at Hooters in Fresh Meadows, Queens on July 10, according to their lawyer Daniel D. Baek.
This story originally appeared on NBCNewYork.com.
After placing their order, the couple noticed their hostess and another worker standing at the computer giggling and "gawking at them," according to the lawsuit.
When their hostess handed them their receipt, it had the word "Chinx" printed in the space reserved for the customer's name.
"Here we are in Fresh Meadows, and we have large populations of Asian Americans — Korean Americans, Chinese Americans, Indian Americans, you name it," said Baek. "It's happening right here in Fresh Meadows. I'm shocked."
Cha told the New York Times he was so distraught that he lost his appetite and, when he got home, threw the food away.
The unemployed information technology specialist emigrated from Korea in 2000 and lives in Philadelphia, according to the Times.
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Nicole Conboy, director of human resources for the holding company that owns the Fresh Meadows restaurant and three Hooters on Long Island, said the 17-year-old hostess admitted to the act and immediately resigned, the Times reports.
The company's lawyer wrote in a letter to Baek, "It does not reflect the manner in which the restaurant is operated," and said the worker's conduct was "deplorable" and "egregious."
Earlier this year, the Papa John's company had to apologize after a worker in a Manhattan restaurant printed "lady chinky eyes" on a receipt for an Asian-American customer. The worker was dismissed.
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Leave a Comment:
This is so out of touch. When you go to a place that denigrates women by naming itself hooters, what do you expect? People have lost all sense of class! Our society has lost its way.
DOH! Lets SUE Chinese CHECKERS! and Anyone WHO Makes Them!
Guess I should sue the African-American restaurant (soul food) that gave me my to-go order with a receipt that said "Homey" on it. But I just don't go there anymore. Probably what they wanted anyway.
African Americans can't be racist. That's only for us white "homeys".
Dude your just as bad.
i will say though not eating there was the right choice. instead of making it a big deal.
loss of business for them. Hooters more publicity more money.
And it nice to see that Asians like Hooters too because they don't usually have Hooters.
Hooters racist against Pokeymons!
Why is this even news? He will probably be racial profiled anyway during civil war.
isn't the civil war long over?
JeSuS! SPERMICIDE Woulda Solved This NOT TO Long Time AGO!
So he's unemployed and eating at Hooters...
That hostess was probably not from Queens... Most likely, just a dumb girl who has never been exposed much to other human races. I would fire her!
SFW being called a CHINK is no different than being called cracker or @!$%# or a fat A$$.
until we all just say FNck It and don't give a SH!T what people say we are just gonna be this big nation full of Pu$$ies.
I don't doubt we still have a Racism problem in this country but the fact of the matter is so many of them are closet racist and only talk Sh!t about other races when no one is around.
Chink, Jew, @!$%# KikE, Cracker, Jerrie, redskin, injun, spics, rican, sanchez
I have friends who have very good friendships with blacks but still call them @!$%#s when they are around a different crowd. i ignore it and they know i don't accept it and it is slowly stoping.
Just a Name you know what and who you are so a name shouldn't have any effect on you.
grow some thicker skin and ignore it and eventually the fire will run out of fuel.
wow,,,, get over it.... someone just wanting some free money because some 2 dollar an hour person used bad judgement. fire the waitress and move one.
you don't deserve money for this you idiot.
Very well said! Remember, this guy is unemployed...why wouldn't he pick a chicken bone fight to get some money?
Alot of POS systems in use at restaurants have the ability to "name" a check. Most operations use it to identify a table number, but some servers use it to identify a table in their own minds. As a bartender, we would either use it to identify a regular, or some one or group, running a tab that would be moving around the bar area rather than sitting in one place.
Often as a joke with multiple bartenders running the same tab, we would identify by something humorous hoping to get a rise out of our fellow bartenders. Most of the time it would be harmless but more than occassionally it might be hurtful. I'm surprised that Hooters actually printed that on the check. I'm sure this young girl didn't realize that.
BTW, in a lot of restaurants, takeout orders are opened and placed by the hostess and not a waitperson. Most people don't tip on takeout and servers don't want that order placed against them on their tip sheets.
Sum Ting Wong
simpley a classic. Now thats funny!
I would award him $19.99, the breakdown would be $9.99 for the food, $5.00 for gas and time loss and $5.00 for his distress.
Well of course anyone can sue anyone at anytime for any reason. However - where is the damage? If they would have complained to management they would have probably eaten free for awhile and noone would have ever known. Now they put it out there. So what? At 6'7" and 315 I am used to being gawked and giggled at. You get used to it. Who cares? The real offensive part of this is that Koreans are not Chinks. If you are gonna insult someone - at least do it correctly.
that would be chinese, yes? so koreans would be what?
man...now I know why my receipt said "Herringchoker"
It's pretty much a given that the waitress is too stupid to realize that the term is offensive. Also, the plural for Chink is Chinks, not chinx. Could it have simply been her version of shorthand for Chinese? Sure. Would I care if I noticed the word "cracker" on my receipt? No, I'd think it was stupid, but funny in it's own way.
Is that a stereotype? Yep. I've eaten at Hooters, I've waited tables at other restaurants, and I dated a Hooters waitress for 2 years. The brightest bulbs do not flock to Hooters for employment. This is why "gentlemen's clubs" managers frequent Hooters and try to steal their staff away.
She couldn't spell "Asian", so she made her best guess at an abbreviation for Chinese. Remember, she's not there for her brain.
So Sollie, Charlie .....
I would be mortified if I was this guy. People, thank the feminsits for the woosification of men in this country. This guy should have went to the manager, that's the end of it. But now this weenie is whining about emotional distress? Seriously, where are all the men? Pathetic. He needs to grow a pair. Quick. And yes, I am a woman writing this and I'm so happy I am married to a man, not a woos of one. Pathetic.
Why are so many people so uptight over small words? It wasn't like they were calling them slanty eyed baboons. It was a simple evaluation of ones speculated country origin and wanted to make sure they got the order to the correct people. Could you imagine if these people were so distraught over this word and also received the wrong order? They probably might need long life therapy. Moral of this story: Those that are unemployed as a information technology specialist, seek happy life with bird in hand, but pout like baby when receipt identifies the man.
Grow some skin, get over it and move on. the restaurant should discipline the person, but damn other people get offended every day it is part of life and a not a get rich quick scheme.
Mean chix are rarely good spellers.
I think the whole world needs to grow up!!! Offended and sueing for name calling... PLEASE! What is this, first grade!!
First of all, the reading comprehension here is deplorable. Either that or people read a headline designed to spark controversy and react without even checking out the whole article. The hostess resigned as the article clearly states and the unintelligent call for her job. WTF? And furthermore to the hypocrites who act like they wouldn't take this to litigation, you are full of it.
Reality check 1, Are you an unemployed information technology specialist too?
Did you leave out an N, Wryobsever?