- A Chick-fil-A customer in North Carolina said her daughter's order slip contained a racial slur.
- Chick-fil-A said the incident resulted from a misspelling on the drive-thru order receipt.
A Charlotte, North Carolina, mother's Facebook post went viral this month after she shared a photo of her daughter's Chick-fil-A order with a racial slur on the order slip.
April Jackson told WSOC-TV that her daughter gave her name, "Nyiashia," when placing her drive-thru order. The meal, she said, was returned with a racial slur on the order slip attached to the cup and the takeout bag. The slur was an incorrect spelling of the N-word.
"This is really bothering me my daughter just left from Chick-fil-A off brookshire, and this what the employee put for her name, and it's black history month," Jackson wrote on February 13 on her Facebook page.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the post had nearly 1,000 shares and 661 comments. The response to Jackson's post was met with mixed opinions.
Some supported Jackson and her daughter and accused Chick-fil-A of supporting a culture of bigotry. "Shows what type of culture Chick-fil-A fosters smh. Can't say I'm surprised knowing how they treat LGBTQ," one person wrote.
Over the years, Chick-fil-A has faced backlash for its history of donating to anti-LGBTQ organizations. The company has since stopped making these types of donations.
Still, other comments on Jackson's Facebook page suggested the slur resulted from user error or a hoax.
"Hoax. The stickers are for pick-up orders placed through apps. The customer enters the name. Nice try at getting attention and free food," one person said.
A Chick-fil-A representative said they believed the incident resulted from a misspelling.
"The Operator/Owner of Chick-fil-A Mountain Island has thoroughly investigated and tried to connect with the customer to better understand her experience and apologize for the situation," the company said in a statement. "Though we understand this to be a misspelling of the customer's name, that does not negate the impact or experience had by our guests. The Operator has started additional training at his restaurant to ensure this doesn't happen again. We sincerely apologize for the harm caused by this incident."
The Chick-fil-A representative said all customers are expected to be "treated with honor, dignity, and respect" at its owner-operated restaurants.
Jackson could not be reached for comment. She told WCNC, a local news channel, that the restaurant's general manager apologized for the incident.
This isn't the first time a worker at Chick-fil-A, a chain known for its strict customer service rules, has been accused of insulting a guest. In 2019, an Arizona customer's clothing was mocked by a worker who identified him as "ugly sweater" on his order slip. Last year, a Chick-fil-A worker's TikTok post went viral after he criticized a customer's one-star review.
Workers at other fast-food chains, such as Starbucks and Taco Bell, have also been accused of insulting guests on receipts or cups.
In December, a Black woman said a barista at a Maryland Starbucks wrote "monkey"on her cup. At the time, a representative for the licensed Starbucks location called the incident a mistake. In 2018, Taco Bell reportedly fired a cashier who was accused of writing a racial slur on a customer's receipt in Pennsylvania.
Are you a Chick-fil-A insider with insight to share? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at nluna@insider.com.