The employees involved in a racist incident at a Buffalo Wild Wings in suburban Naperville have been fired, the restaurant said early Monday.
Justin Vahl, who is African-American, says he was celebrating a birthday party at the Buffalo Wild Wings location last month when his group was asked to change tables because of their skin color.
Vahl says he was in a group of 18 people, both children and adults, when a host asked him about his ethnicity. Later, a manager asked the group to move because a regular customer didn't want to sit near black people. After several managers tried to move the group, Vahl says they left for another restaurant.
Vahl, of nearby Montgomery, says he's multiracial. His wife Mary first shared the story on social media. Vahl later tweeted "Still trying to wrap my head around the disgusting treatment we received" at the restaurant.
The DuPage County chapter of the NAACP has said it will look into the incident, and the group plans to hold a press conference discussing the allegations on Tuesday.
Buffalo Wild Wings spokeswoman Claire Kudlata said in a statement early Monday that the company takes the incident "very seriously" and the employees involved were fired.
"We take this incident very seriously and after conducting a thorough, internal investigation have terminated the employees involved," Kudlata said. "Buffalo Wild Wings values an inclusive environment and has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind."
