Papa John’s Fires Employee For Using Racial Slur To ID Korean Woman On Receipt

January 8, 2012 11:32 AM

This receipt was posted by Twitter user Minhee Cho (@mintymin) on Jan. 7, 2012.

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Business, Consumer News, Heard On 1010 WINS, WCBS, WFAN, Local, News, NY News, Watch + Listen

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Harlem, Minhee Cho, Papa John's, Pizza, Racial Slur, racism

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) – A Papa John’s customer said an employee at the local pizza joint served a Harlem resident a hot slice of racism. When Minhee Cho, 24, ordered a pizza from the chain restaurant she was surprised to see that her receipt identified her using a racial slur referring to her eyes.

Cho posted the receipt on Twitter, where it has received over 100,000 views. Along with the picture, she tweeted, “Hey @PapaJohns just FYI my name isn’t “lady chinky eyes”.

The photograph clearly shows, however, that’s exactly what the employee listed her as.

“I don’t think a giant corporation should write those things on a receipt,” Cho told The New York Post. “That’s poor management. It was surprising to see that on paper; if they had said it in person, it would have been worse.”

“I probably would not go there again, because they would probably spit in my food,” said Cho, who is Korean.

A manager who identified himself as, “Jerome,” at the restaurant on Broadway near West 142nd Street told the Post that the slur was business as usual.

“It’s a busy place, and it was a way to identify her and her order,” he said. “You know, we do stuff like that sometimes. We’ll write ‘the lady with the blue eyes’ or ‘the guy in the green shirt.’ ” He said the teenage cashier meant no harm.

As a result of Cho’s Tweet, the restaurant received a barrage of prank phone calls which they say has affected their ability to do business.

“It’s affecting how we work,” Jerome complained. “This is a place of business. I truly don’t think it’s fair what she did; it’s just crazy.”

“I think the lady put it out there just to get some attention, some people like that type of attention. I truly don’t think it’s fair. It’s been taking up all our time. It’s been very disruptive.”

“It just seems that he’s annoyed that they’re getting a lot of calls. I think the racist thing just caught fire,”said Cho.

Papa John’s apologized via Twitter and said that the offending employee has been fired.

Have your own story of fast food related racism? Let us know in our comments section below…

Bklyn mom

Why anyone in NY would go to a chain pizza store is beyond me! I’m shocked they are in existence. Most probably for tourists… but I digress…

However, that does not excuse the racial slur. You want to identify someone, write Asian lady or even Chinese lady if you can’t tell she’s Korean. I agree that the manager is the one who should be fired for not seeing this was wrong and not training his staff to have some consideration and respect for their customers.

Blasterific

He should have put slanty eyed wench.

Blasterific’s Mother

For you, I’d put Should Have Been Aborted.

nathan

You’re just being close minded. Try it. You’ll love it. I love getting it up the end.
mobadthangood

I want to see a picture of her. She might be cute and he was flirting with her.
GET OVER IT PEOPLE.
Buncha damn crybabies, I swear.

mostupidthanadog

Narrow minded and ignorant comment because you have no understanding of the world when living in your parent’s basement. Get over being so ignorant.

DarthEVaderCheney

Stick to the subject, Idiot!!! Who cares about where you shop for pizza? What the heck is your point, pointy head?
MAMMY

Bring back Al Jolsen MAMMY
If it wasnt for Asians, all we would have are pizzas and tacos.

In response to Jerome’s reply

“Post that the slur was business as usual”

and

“I think the lady put it out there just to get some attention, some people like that type of attention. I truly don’t think it’s fair. It’s been taking up all our time. It’s been very disruptive.”

I dont think he would have the same reply if that was him when the next time he goes to an asian restaurant, they identify him as “N#$%@ with 3 teeth”.

Blasterific

No because he actually only has 1 tooth.

Blasterific’s Mother

Just like you and your IQ level. I’s proud!

Capt’n America

Billy Williams..what if someone called you a “velcro head with tar on his face”..hopefully this would never happen!!!!
BC

Sounds like the franchise owner should fire Jerome.

Bye Bye Jerome

Yes Jerome is a extreme racist and should be fired.And the nerve to blame her .Corporate should step in and fire him.

Kenwin Adams

Yes Jerome should be fired. Trying to blame her for your problems now. If management don’t fire him, this will show you that they just care about the bottom line,not the customer. Papa John’s just lost a customer

Holladay

I’ve gotten the impression that Pappa Johns really doesn’t care about anything but profit. A year or so ago they opened a store in our neighborhood. They chose to open directly across the street from a locally owned, non-chain pizzaria which has been there for decades. The name of that store is John’s Pizza. As if the national name wasn’t enough leverage against the little guy, they chose to impinge on his local name recognition. John’s is staffed by people trying to make a living, not teenagers with part time jobs, like Pappa John’s. Then comes this story with the racial slur on the reciept, made even worse by the other individual saying nothing bad was meant. And now they’re complaining that she shouldn’t have complained because it’s affecting their business? As if she made the prank calls? The way Pappa John’s handled this incident all along has been extremely insensitive and inconsiderate. The last part, about affecting their business is the beginning of b uilding a defense against a lawsuit, and was so incredibly insensitive that it almost had to originate from an attorney.

local pizzeria for ever

There is nothing like the taste and flavor of the local pizzeria. We never go with Domino, or Pappa Johns or any other “chain” We go local with our neighborhood store. mmmmmm. About the receipt, it was actually out of place. But i do not believe it was rascist.

brownguy

I bet if jerome (the so called manager) ordered a pizza and the name on the receipt said “negro dude”, he would be yelling loud, calling al sharpton, the naacp and the media. Just sayin’….. Racism is not business as usual when it happens to you!

DaEmph

but it happens to blacks more than any racein the world, so STFU!!!

DarthEVaderCheney

Here we go again…. PPBP!!! Po Persecuted Black People!!! Quitcher complainin and eat your pizza!!!
gimmeabreak

there are no statistics to back up what you are saying..and if there was, does this justify the racist description written on the receipt…it is a shame that blacks have endured their share of racism.. but having blacks spew racism at other nationalities is far the answer of eliminating racism altogether!!!!
spare_me_please

i don’t believe there are official statistics to back this up..in any event, i hardly believe having balcks spew racism towards other communities is the answer to eliminating bigotry..Jerome – as a manager of PapaJohns, showed everyone how shallow the corproate leadership at PapaJohns corporation is…the corporate offices should have apologized immediately and not relied on a low level manager that who is slightly less inept than the cashier. How can Jerome not recognize this is wrong?
brownguy

Not true, get an education, maybe study history and get rid of your black entitlement card, you will be amazed at what you see.
mobadthangood

Wah!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill W.

I’ve gone into a chain fried chicken restaurant. The Middle Eastern owner treated me with rudeness because I’m an American. He refused to accept my Entertainment coupon saying it was a home made fake. Maybe this Afghan guy was just a jerk.
NoBrainsInNY

Well the proof is in the receipt I guess.

Sounds like it’s time for a National Boycott.

The young people of today are just so stupid!

What were they thinking?

Hello?

Check out my restaurant reviews & videos……………

http://www.sacramento-blog-uncut.blogspot.com

Enjoy!
DarthEVaderCheney

DarthEVaderCheneyI rather like the idea of calling the NYC Dept. of Health a number of times in the next 12 months to complain about the health conditions at said company. That should keep PJ busy for awhile, not giving them time to make racial slurs in the first place. They{ll learn after the 4th unannounced inspection.
http://thecryptojournalist.wordpress.com The Cryptojournalist

They really get the upper crust working at Papa John’s, don’t they?

http://rhymeandreasonable.com

*Rimshot*

Thank you folks, I’ll be here all week
Z

my receipt said guy with hairy left testicle

hmm
matt

Why is she ordering chain pizza in NY?
Kel

“It’s a busy place, and it was a way to identify her and her order,” he said. “You know, we do stuff like that sometimes. We’ll write ‘the lady with the blue eyes’ or ‘the guy in the green shirt.’ ” He said the teenage cashier meant no harm.

“It’s affecting how we work,” Jerome complained. “This is a place of business. I truly don’t think it’s fair what she did; it’s just crazy.”

“I think the lady put it out there just to get some attention, some people like that type of attention. I truly don’t think it’s fair. It’s been taking up all our time. It’s been very disruptive.”

that all just BS man, this would have never caught fire if the racist slur was’nt printed
MR KKK

IM GONNA HAVE TO START ORDERING FROM THIS PLACE…IT SOUNDS LIKE MY KIND OF ESTABLISHMENT

DaEmph

Sure, yours could say “poor white trash dude”.

Fire Jerome

Well if you go into a pizza place and do not see Italians making it why would you eat it.People stop eating this frozen crap and go to real pizza place .Lets put this store out of business so Jerome can support his baby mamas on welfare.

joey fom B’hurst

Italians don’t make pizza anymore. They have Mexicans in the back making it!

Nacht Kriger

or Big ass night fighter

Malber

I’m offended that CBS New York used a picture of a nice Neapolitan Margherita pie for an article about Papa John’s corporate so-called pizza.
Tobin

“It’s affecting how we work,” Jerome complained. “This is a place of business. I truly don’t think it’s fair what she did; it’s just crazy.”

WOW. No ability to show any empathy or concern to the customer. Papa Johns terminates the employee, but it appears that the team & leadership as a whole is an issue. Not saying fire them, but I’d recommend bringing someone in to put anyone who wants to remain employed there to go through discrimination and harassment training.
truth

AT&T at Union Square’s employees discriminate against Asians as well!!! beware!

an angle

That kinda puts a Slant (get it ) on things, you think?

decency

pan head should return to her own country? Billy Williams, dont you sounf brilliant. it is idiots like you that help perpetuate this type of behavior
DC

the Broadway/W 142nd St store is one that I used to order from periodically … and customer service problems of this type were a common occurrence. It sounds to me like Papa John’s is accepting the word of a racist that there’s no racism in their store. According to reports, both a manager and assistant manager claim that racist behavior is commonplace, and no big deal, and they fired the employee that let it slip. Is this really enough for Corporate to accept??
Hahahahaha

Hahahahahahaha.
Eddddy

what a bunch of crap.