Buffalo Wild Wings fires employees involved in alleged racist incident

ByAlexis McAdams WLS logo
Monday, November 4, 2019
Buffalo Wild Wings fires Naperville employees involved in alleged racist incident
Some employees of a Buffalo Wild Wings in Naperville have been fired for an alleged incident of racism against a group of black customers.

NAPERVILLE, Illinois -- Some employees of a Buffalo Wild Wings in Illinois have been fired for an alleged incident of racism against a group of black customers.

The customers said their group was asked to move because another customer did not want to sit by black people. The racist incident reportedly happened at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Naperville.

Back in October, a group of customers celebrating a birthday party said they were asked to move to another table because of their skin color. The customers said it started when a host approached them and asked about their ethnicity.

Once seated, Justin Vahl said the group of adults and kids were then asked to move tables because a customer sitting nearby said he did not want to sit near black people.

Vahl, of nearby Montgomery, said he's multiracial. His wife, Mary, first shared the story on social media. After several managers tried to move the group, they left for another restaurant and alerted upper management.

In a statement, a Buffalo Wild Wings spokesperson said the restaurant chain has zero tolerance for discrimination.

"We take this incident very seriously and after conducting a thorough, internal investigation have terminated the employees involved," the statement said. "Buffalo Wild Wings values an inclusive environment and has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. "

The customer who made the complaint is in contact with his legal team.

The DuPage NAACP chapter will also look into the incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.