Workers at Irondale Location of Krystal Restaurant Reportedly Refuse to Serve Uniformed Police Officer

Workers at Irondale Location of Krystal Restaurant Reportedly Refuse to Serve Uniformed Police Officer
Epoch Newsroom
2/24/2016
Updated:
2/24/2016

A uniformed police officer in Alabama says he was denied service at a fast food restaurant.

Pedro Urresta says he waited for more than 20 minutes to get his food, but it still never came.

“It’s a shame that police officers that protect and serve their communities are denied service. After waiting in the drive thru in his patrol car they never acknowledged my husbands order,” Pedro’s wife Brittany wrote on Facebook.

“He went inside in his uniform and every worker walked away from the counter to the back of the store. #‎backtheblue.”

Krystal officials investigated the claim, and said that workers did indeed stiff Urresta—but he was not specifically targeted.

Pedro Urresta and his wife. (Facebook)
Pedro Urresta and his wife. (Facebook)

“We can also verify that the service he experienced was unacceptable, but it was also unacceptable for the other three guests in front of him at the counter and at the drive-thru,'' Krystal spokeswoman Kim Miller told AL.com.

“The service levels were unacceptable for all of our guests during that time period. The officer was not targeted, but neither he nor our other guests received the level of service they should.”

But Irondale police Chief Ken Atkinson said Urresta feels he was singled out.

“After talking with him (the officer) this morning, he feels like he was denied service and that’s certainly what it sounds like,'' Atkinson said. ”In this day and age when police officers are being killed, this is a restaurant in our city. If they have to call for an emergency, we’re the ones responding.”