A video of a Denny's server quitting her job out of frustration after a pair of maskless patrons refused to wear masks inside the diner is being widely circulated on social media.
The clip, originally shared on Reddit on Tuesday, shows a waitress at the restaurant chain's Franklin Park, Illinois location quitting on the spot after a pair of men refused to wear a mask and argued about having a "religious exemption."
'I F*cking Quit'
"We have a religious exemption," the man filming the video says to the woman, before adding, "We just don't want to wear a mask."
The waitress can be heard politely telling the man that they're required to wear a face covering inside the establishment, prompting him to cite the "Civil Rights Act of 1964," which addresses "discrimination or segregation in [specified] places of public accommodation" based, in part, on "religion" but does not protect customers from entering an establishment without a mask.
"You know what? I quit!" the waitress says. "I f*cking quit! What is wrong with you people?" She then walks away from the men, slams the menus she was holding down on a table. "Roger, I'm not working for this sh*t anymore!" she says. "These guys won't put their masks on. I'm sick of feeling like this!"
The men then accuse the employee of "discriminating" against them. "I'm not discriminating against you," she responds before grabbing her belongings to leave.
A senior staff member who appears to be the manager then intervenes and reiterates the restaurant's no-mask no-service policy. The men try to argue with the manager as well, once again claiming they have an exemption. "No. Not here," the manager says.
"OK. Then, you lost our business," the man says before walking out. Watch the video below:
Denny's Issues Statement
After the video went viral on social media, a Denny's spokesperson issued the following statement:
"Denny's is aware of the situation involving an employee and two guests that refused to wear face coverings at its Franklin Park, IL location. While we understand that some may feel that they are exempt from certain mandates, at Denny's, the safety of our employees and guests is our top priority and we will always abide by all applicable regulations and guidelines to ensure that priority is met."
"This pandemic has hit the restaurant industry and those that work in it particularly hard, and we ask that those who choose to dine out respect the hard work and resilience of these workers by adhering to public health guidelines as well as individual restaurant policies. We look forward to when these requirements are no longer necessary, but until then, will continue to act in the best interest of the health and welfare of our guests, employees and the communities we serve."
