WASHINGTON 鈥� Last month, a waitress at a Loudoun County restaurant said she was by a couple who wrote at the bottom of the check that they 鈥渄on鈥檛 tip Black people.鈥� On Friday, a lawyer saying he represented one of the customers said the story is false.
Daniel Hebda, of the law firm Simms Showers, said in a statement that he represents the couple who ate at Anita鈥檚 New Mexico Style Caf茅, in Ashburn, on Jan. 7. The bill came to $30.52, and as first reported, waitress Kelly Carter said that while the couple paid the bill, they left without tipping, writing instead on the bottom of the check, 鈥済reat service don鈥檛 tip Black people.鈥�
Hebda said that their client actually tipped Carter 鈥� a penny 鈥� and that the amount had nothing to do with Carter鈥檚 race but her service. Hebda says his client claims that Carter鈥檚 service was 鈥減oor,鈥� and that the note he wrote on the bottom of the bill was 鈥渢errible service.鈥�
Hebda claims that someone reprinted the receipt, forged his client鈥檚 signature and lack of tip, then wrote the racist note on the bottom.
鈥淥ur client did not nor would he ever write anything about refusing to tip African Americans because of their race,鈥� Hebda said in the statement. 鈥淥ur client has no ill feelings towards African Americans. Our client did not leave e $0.00 tip. Our client tipped $0.01 out of his own conviction against tipping well for poor service.鈥�
Hebda adds that they have contacted the lawyers for Anita鈥檚 鈥渁nd demanded that they set the story straight and find out who is responsible.鈥�
Thomas Tellez, the owner of Anita鈥檚, said at the time that the note was 鈥渄isheartening鈥� and added, 鈥淚 am outraged.鈥� Hebda said that 鈥渙ur client is unaware of what Mr. Tellez knew at the time he made that statement, but our client 鈥� demands a response.鈥�
A request for comment from Tellez and the restaurant has not yet been answered.
Philip Thompson, the president of the Loudoun County NAACP, told 草莓传媒聽the organization was聽standing behind Carter, but that the restaurant was looking into the matter.
“It’s sad any way it goes,” Thompson聽said.
草莓传媒’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.
