Worker quits over 'disgusting' change to restaurant menu

A bar worker at a Florida restaurant has quit his job after the co-owner changed the title of a popular dish to “I can’t breathe” on a customer’s order.

Brandon Gonzalez, 25, tweeted an image of the diner’s food ticket on June 22, announcing he resigned following the incident.

“Yesterday I was at work and my boss, Hole in the Wall co-founder Sam, thought it’d be funny to change the ‘Blackened’ wings to ‘I Can’t Breathe’. Attention Miami locals do not support this disgusting establishment. I quit today,” he wrote.

“I can’t breathe” were the last words spoken by George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis last month, sparking anti-racism protests across the US.

Mr Gonzalez told local station WSVN the incident left him “baffled”.

“I couldn’t believe [it],” he said.

“The order was supposed to say ‘10 blackened chicken wings’. Instead, it said, ‘I can’t breathe’.”

Mr Gonzalez said one of the restaurant’s co-owners “Sam”, later confirmed to be Sam Diedrick, made the change to the ticket, which is normally only seen by employees.

“When I delivered the food, I looked at the ticket and I was like, ‘Damn, he actually wrote that on the ticket',” Mr Gonzalez said, claiming that Sam had also boasted about what he had written on the ticket to kitchen staff.

Mr Diedrick addressed the incident on Facebook after the tweet went viral and apologised.

"I want to apologise for my insensitivity in a lame attempt at humour. My intentions were never to offend or make any employee or customer uncomfortable. I will take this incident and learn from my oafish behaviour. I truly am sorry," he wrote, according to the Miami News Times.

The restaurant’s staff have since issued an apology on the chain’s website, stating that they are “disgusted by what occurred”.

“We apologise to our customers and employees. It is reprehensible and goes completely against our values. We have taken immediate action by suspending Mr. Diedrick.”

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