An employee at a Seattle chocolate shop who refused to serve two police officers lost her job last week, a move the café’s owner wrote: “was in the best interest of both parties.”
According to an exclusive April 27 report from the Post Millennial, two Seattle police officers entered Chocolati Café to purchase a box of chocolates, but a female staff member, who was described by the outlet as a “white female with green streaks in her hair,” said, “No, I won’t serve you.”
The shop initially defended the employee’s “freedom of speech” in a post on Facebook that said, “We have recently become aware of an incident that occurred with a team member and an officer of the Seattle Police Department who was refused service. Although we do respect this team member’s freedom of speech, the actions in this instance do not represent our views as a company. We are actively working directly with this team member and the local precinct to create a more inviting, inclusive and cohesive community for all.”
As a local small business, Chocolati welcomes all members of our community. We have recently become aware of an…
Posted by Chocolati on Wednesday, April 28, 2021
However, two days later the café’s owner, Christian Wong, said she was “shocked and disappointed” by the employee’s behavior and announced the individual was no longer an employee of Chocolati Café.
“As soon as I learned of this incident, we worked to understand the facts of what took place, and we spoke directly with the team member involved. We also spoke with the Sergeant of our local SPD precinct. After fully understanding the facts of this incident, we came to the mutual conclusion that it was in the best interest of both parties to part ways with the team member involved in this incident…” the post stated.
“I look forward to meeting on Sunday with the SPD officer involved in this incident to personally apologize – just as I would apologize to any customer who was refused service on the basis of an employee’s personal views.”
Dear Friends & Neighbors, I’m a Seattle native, born and raised, and I love our city. For so many of us, this has been…
Posted by Chocolati on Friday, April 30, 2021
According to Jason Rantz with KTTH, Wong said the cafe’s goal is to “treat everyone with compassion and empathy, and that we do not discriminate against customers based on our personal beliefs.”
“Our hope is that this unfortunate incident can serve to help show that communication, empathy and education are the ways we can find common ground as a community in this city we all love,” he added.
When the Post Millennial first contacted the store, an employee asked the outlet, “Is this how you want to spend your time? Getting essential workers in trouble? Shouldn’t you be spending your time harassing homeless people?”
The reporter responded by letting the employee know they would try contacting the owner or manager instead. The staffer agreed and reportedly added, “…and go f—k yourself.”
