When Diana Carrillo, her sister Brenda, and two female friends went to the Southern California restaurant Saint Marc Pub-Cafe last week, they were looking to have fun and enjoy some food—not get harassed by their waiter.
After Brenda and one of Carillo's friends were seated, their waiter walked up to the table, and told the two Latina patrons, “I need to make sure you're from here before I serve you." When Diana and her other friend arrived, the waiter returned and asked them to provide "proof of residency."
“I already had my ID out. I couldn’t say anything,” Diana told the Orange County Register. Still stunned by the audacity of the waiter, Carrillo asked the rest of the group, “Did he just ask me that?” Instead of sticking around, the four Latinas got up and spoke to the restaurant's manager about the waiter. She also shared her ordeal in the Facebook post below.
This past Monday, Saint Marc reached out to Carrillo to tell her that the restaurant was willing to donate 10 percent of their weekend proceeds towards to the nonprofit organization of their choice, as well as offer her a VIP experience. Diana denied the offer, but asked them to donate money to Orange County Immigrant Youth United, an organization led by undocumented immigrant youth which advocates for those individuals in similar circumstances. Kent Bearden, senior director of operations at Saint Marc, informedThe Washington Post that they have fired the waiter, who “had never received so much as a write-up” prior to this incident.
