2 days ago
Myrtle Beach restaurant accused of making racist remarks. See the response
A meal at a Myrtle Beach restaurant ended on an unsavory note for a Maryland pastor and his wife after the owner responded to the couple's complaints about a dish with racist remarks.
Maurice Mckoy shared during a Facebook live stream on July 9 details about the incident that took place at Salt & Honey Grill, located at 2800 North Kings Highway.
He was initially excited to dine at the 'TikTok sensation,' he said on the live stream, but when his wife wanted adjustments made to a dish, they were met instead with racist remarks from the owner.
The restaurant shared on July 10 a statement on Facebook claiming that this was not how the events took place.
Mckoy's live stream has gone viral, being shared across accounts and social platforms and garnering hundreds of thousands of views. Others have begun putting their own posts online, putting their outrage and support behind Mckoy.
While some commenters on posts about the incident express their full support for Mckoy and their intentions to boycott the business, others say they are skeptical, and believe there is more to the story.
Neither Mckoy nor Salt & Honey Grill responded to requests for comment on Sunday morning.
'My wife sent back the steak because it wasn't cooked to her liking,' Mckoy explained in his live stream.
But after the steak was taken back, Mckoy said it was brought back to their table once more, with no changes made, and they were told 'that's the way it's supposed to be.'
To this, Mckoy argued that the meal should be prepared the way a customer asks.
'But that wasn't the topper, guys,' Mckoy continued. He said that the owner then came to the table, saying he'd 'Googled' what a medium-well steak should look like, and their steak looked correct.
When this response didn't satisfy the customers, Mckoy said the owner then presented them with a more extreme response.
'He told my wife and I that Black people are not welcome in his establishment, and that I can leave and I'm barred from his restaurant,' Mckoy said in the live stream. He went on to say the owner claimed 'that Black people play with his money too much.'
According to Mckoy, the restaurant owner would not share his name during the incident. The restaurant is owned by Donald Asllanaj and his family, known for Donald's Pancake House at 2600 N. Kings Highway, The Sun News previously reported.
In its response, the restaurant claims that Mckoy and his wife requested that several items be remade, and that the restaurant's cook and server, 'both valued Black team members, did their best to accommodate these requests.'
The statement goes on to claim that the restaurant offered to cover the couple's entire bill 'when it became clear we could not meet their expectations,' and then informed the couple the restaurant would no longer be able to serve them.
'At no point were any comments made about race or any group of people,' the statement reads. 'Our only goal was to protect and preserve a healthy working environment for our staff and a peaceful dining experience for our customers.'
Responses to the restaurant's post range from loyal customers remembering favorable experiences with the establishment and its owners, to those sharing their intentions not to dine at the restaurant out of support for Mckoy and his wife.
No further action has been taken by the couple or the restaurant regarding the matter.
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