An Ohio restaurant owner said that his restaurant was being unfairly labeled as racist after his girlfriend became angry at two black men and used the N-word.
Springfield resident Josh Perrin wrote on Facebook last week that he had overheard an employee at Mobil Dogs Café using the N-word.
Perrin also posted screen shots of a conversation with Mobil Dogs Café owner Jeff Wade.
"Sorry buddy but I believe you don't know what happened today but sorry if anyone was offended by the 2 guys who made a seen [SIC] today," Wade wrote to Perrin. "It's a lie."
"I am not saying what the 2 guys who came in said was right but an employee should never talk like that," Perrin replied. "She [definitely] was acting the same way the 2 men came in where she [definitely] yelled the N-word numerous times."
Wade told the Springfield News-Sun that his girlfriend only used the N-word after she was threatened by the two black men.
“I had two guys come in and threaten us, and one of them tried to swing on my girlfriend,” Wade explained. "And when (they) did, she called them the N-word, and now they’re saying we’re racist, and it’s nothing like that.”
In a Facebook post, Wade offered an apology for the incident.
“I have ran a great business for the past 7 years, and I have to honestly say that the black community has supported me just as much as everyone else and a situation occurred in my place, and words were said that should not have been said out of anger or whatever," the restaurant owner noted. "It should not have been said. I cannot begin to tell you all how sorry I am for the actions caused by any employee in my establishment."
Local NAACP President Denise Williams said that she accepted Wade's apology, but called for everyone to stop using racial slurs.
“The use of that N-word, we cannot afford that in this community. I’m trying so hard to bridge the gap in our community and try to help deter racial tension in our community. But when you continue using this N-word, it’s making it difficult,” Williams pointed out.
“I don’t care what the situation is. We have to get away from that," she said.
