CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Two Charlottetown businessmen say they got a taste of racism at a burger restaurant in the city’s downtown.
And, Fatima Hernandez, the manager of the Crafters Burger Company on Great George Street who served them, says she feels terrible and vows to make changes.
Mark Ma and Blake Zhang are frequent customers at Crafters Burger Company. They were there on Oct. 2 for Burger Love. Ma and Zhang said the food was great, as was the service, but they were troubled by something on their receipt when they got home.
On the tab line of the receipt, the manager of the restaurant identified Ma and Zhang as "Asian guys". Their first reaction was that it was racist and a rude way to refer to any customer.
“We don’t think that’s the proper way to separate your customers into different ethnicities,’’ Ma said. "We felt it was kind of rude, too."
Zhang said he and Ma have been living on P.E.I. for three years and this is the first time they have encountered any form of what they perceive as systemic racism.
"We want to remind people; maybe we come from a different culture but we do live in the same society," Zhang said, referring to Island life. "If we keep telling people they are different that’s not a good way to bring people together. We need to respect different cultures."
Ma said he wonders if their receipt read Asian guys, what happens if a Mexican customer walks in or a Black person.
Ma added that Hernandez has a number of options she could use to remember what customers ordered and how to find them – a table number or the customer’s name would suffice, he said.
Hernandez told The Guardian that she served Ma and Zhang and feels terrible about what happened.
“I am extremely sorry I could not give these gentlemen (a positive) experience. I feel terrible to know that, after leaving so happy, that it turned out to be bad. If there is any way I could possibly make it up to them I will be more than happy to do it. There are not enough words to describe how sorry I am. I hope they can accept my apology.’’
- Fatima Hernandez
“When I wrote ‘Asian guys’ on their tab it was not because I was being a racist," Hernandez said, going on to explain that the business is run by a multi-racial family which trains staff to give every customer the best experience they can.
Hernandez herself is from El Salvador, and her children are biracial.
“I am really sorry (Zhang and Ma) felt that I was being racist by calling them Asians but, truly, the thought of being racist does not even cross my mind."
Hernandez said going forward, the restaurant will avoid using any terms that could be interpreted as offensive.
“I am extremely sorry I could not give these gentlemen (a positive) experience. I feel terrible to know that, after leaving so happy, that it turned out to be bad. If there is any way I could possibly make it up to them I will be more than happy to do it. There are not enough words to describe how sorry I am. I hope they can accept my apology."
Hernandez said she has personally reached out to Ma and Zhang to offer the apology in person.
