From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
PINSON — A Birmingham woman says that she was refused entry into a Waffle House in Pinson because of her race, according to WBRC.
Jacinda Mitchell, of Birmingham, recently posted on her Facebook profile alleging that an employee at the Waffle House in Pinson told her the location was closed despite there being customers inside. Her post included a video in which she shows the employees inside with white customers and shows one of them confronting her from behind the door.
However, an employee of the location said that she did not lock the doors because Mitchell was black but because the location was short staffed and she was trying to prevent more customers from coming in so she could clear tables. Despite this, she still apologized.
“We are aware of the incident at our restaurant in Pinson, Alabama on April 22, 2018. We have launched an investigation to gather all of the facts. Waffle House is a welcoming place for everyone, and we are fortunate to enjoy a very diverse and loyal customer base who we do our best to serve every day. The employee involved should not have locked the front door at all and should have certainly opened the door for the customer when she arrived. We will get the facts and take appropriate action quickly,” Pat Warner, a spokesman for Waffle House, said in a statement to WBRC.