Hollis Johnson
A furious customer is claiming that an employee at a cult favorite fast-food chain threw ketchup at him and harassed him for wearing a Trump t-shirt.On Tuesday, Daniel Kaspar posted on Twitter that he had been harassed and heckled while trying to order food at a Cook Out in Durham, North Carolina.
"When I walked in wearing a Donald Trump t-shirt, the employees threw a packet of ketchup at me before I even placed my order," Kaspar wrote. "I then was called out and heckled several times by the manager, who also encouraged other customers to join in."
"I don't care who you support or why you support them, but this is unacceptable, unprofessional and un-American," he continued, saying he would never return to this Cook Out location.
Cook Out responded to Kaspar's tweet to apologize, calling the incident "extremely unprofessional."
A man who is apparently Kaspar's father also took to Twitter to back up his son, calling the incident "absurd."
"Liberals have gone overboard," John Kaspar wrote. "We should all infiltrate the store with our deplorable shirts."
Other respondents were less sympathetic, with some expressing suspicion regarding Kasapar's depiction of the incident.
This is not the first time that Cook Out, a North Carolina-based chain known for its burgers and milkshakes, has received boycott threats from Trump supporters. Workers at a Colonial Heights, Virginia, location reportedly refused to serve customers in Donald Trump shirts and hats in June 2016, sparking controversy.
While Cook Out did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, the chain claimed it was a "politically neutral company" after the 2016 anti-Trump incident.
"We welcome all customers regardless of political affiliation," the company said in a statement at the time.
@FoxNews #BoycottCookout pic.twitter.com/thtaBdOSTs
- Daniel Kaspar (@TheManKaspar) July 17, 2017Daniel, we are so sorry this happened to you. This was extremely unprofessional, and it is being handled to ensure it never happens again.
- Cook Out (@CookOut) July 18, 2017I'm crying 😭😭 little man called in pops to back him up
- Andrew Tenbusch (@10busch) July 18, 2017Durham is predominantly liberal. Nobody gives af. If anything, I'm going to eat cookout more. Good work cookout!
- Jordan (@Jordan_p34) July 18, 2017- Michael Clark 🏎💨 (@clarkmike36) July 18, 2017