Chili's apologizes for taking meal from vet, manager put on leave
After a very public outcry, the parent company of Chili's Bar & Grill restaurants has offered a personal apology to the Army veteran who felt humiliated at the treatment he received from a Chili's employee on Veterans Day.
A manager at the Chili's Bar & Grill in Cedar Hill, Texas -- a suburb of Dallas -- took a free meal from Ernest Walker after challenging his military service. Walker, who had shown the manager documentation of his service, recorded his interaction and posted it to Facebook.
In a statement issued Monday, Chili's President Kelli Valade said she personally apologized to Ernest Walker for the manager's actions and thanked him for his service to the country, reports NBC5 in Dallas Fort Worth.
The station also reports that the manager was put on administrative leave, not fired. Company representatives said Walker did not want the manager fired.
In response to the incident, an Arizona resident launched a GoFundMe page to raise $100 to buy Walker a meal. The page had raised $975 as of Tuesday morning.
Walker has asked that the money be used to feed hungry veterans.
About the Author
Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. Sign up to have her column sent to your inbox: ajc.com/newsletters/nedra-rhone-columnist.
