Thirteen years of service, one pancake meal: an IHOP server was fired for providing food to a hungry person who asked for it, reports Local 12 News WFLA in Lakeland, Florida. Victoria Hughes paid for the meal, but was fired for encouraging undesirables to "loiter" in the restaurant.
Hughes told the station that she received a call from her manager on Tuesday, and was informed that she had been fired from her position.
"He talked to me yesterday and told me that I was fired," Hughes told WFLA. "I asked him for what? And he said, 'company policy.'"
Reflecting on the situation, Hughes told reporters with WFLA that, despite losing her job ahead of the holidays, she wouldn't have done anything different.
"I need my job, but I would still do it again," Hughes told the outlet. "I truly would. I would still help somebody if I could. If he asked me for my shirt, I probably would have tried to give him that too."
I enjoyed the bowing and scraping that media coverage induced in the franchise operator, Sunshine Restaurant Partners. They quickly offered Hughes her job back after reporters came calling.
"We are committed to providing an inclusive environment, welcome to everyone. As we actively investigate this situation, we will utilize this as an opportunity to train our employees on how to approach instances surrounding food insecurity," Dan Enea, CEO of Sunshine Restaurant Partners said in a statement to WFLA. "To continue our commitment to supporting those in need in our local community, we are making a donation to Feeding America as well as local Lakeland charities that support food insecurity."
Previously:
• Arkansas IHOP manager put on leave for refusing to let armless kid eat with his feet
• Massive sinkhole eats IHOP car lot
• IHOP isn't really changing it's name to IHOb, but here's what the 'b' stands for
• Drone footage of insanely huge 'sinkhole' outside of IHOP restaurant
• IHOP ad from 1969 will melt your brain
