2 Fired After Racism Allegation At Naperville Buffalo Wild Wings

NAPERVILLE, IL — Two employees of a Naperville Buffalo Wild Wings have been fired after a customer said their group of 18 was asked to change tables due to their race. The firings came after a post describing the alleged incident was widely shared on social media.

In a post on the Facebook group "What's Happening In Naperville?," Mary Vahl wrote that she and her husband went to the Buffalo Wild Wings at 75th and Route 59 with a group of people "mostly consisting of African-Americans."

Vahl wrote that as employees were setting up their tables, one employee asked, "What race are you guys?", explaining he did not want to seat them next to a regular customer who is "racist."

Vahl and her party still took their seats at the tables where they had been set up. She wrote that she and her group "knew right away who [the alleged racist customer] was because he was staring at them and "giving (them) looks" while they were being seated.

She goes on to say that another employee, a service manager, spoke with the reportedly racist customer before approaching the group.

Vahl wrote that the service manager told them another party of 18 had called in and that Vahl's party would have to move as the seats they were in were reserved.

She and her party then decided to leave Buffalo Wild Wings.

Vahl wrote, "A moment to hangout with a group of friends after a birthday party, turned into a discussion with our young impressionable sons about how we didn’t get kicked out, but willingly CHOSE to leave because of the unfair treatment we were being given."

She goes on, "How is an establishment ok with serving people who try to control which types of people sit around them?! It was not ok that a person of management was willing to move 6 adults and 12 children versus 2 grown adults who are uncomfortable sitting by black folks!!"

Patch reached out to Buffalo Wild Wings for comment. The company sent a statement via a spokesperson saying, "We take this incident very seriously and after conducting a thorough, internal investigation have terminated the employees involved. Buffalo Wild Wings values an inclusive environment and has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind."

The incident came just months after an employee was fired from a Bucky's gas station in Naperville for racist comments he made to Hispanic customers.