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A man at the center of a race-related incident last month at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Naperville was known to restaurant staff for making racist comments and would send back food unless it was served by a white employee, according to Naperville police reports.

Police reports obtained by the Naperville Sun late Wednesday detail the investigation officers conducted at the 75th Street restaurant after a group of customers said they were asked to move tables because of the color of their skin. […]

According to the police report, a man with a swastika tattoo and his female acquaintance told police they had been regulars at the restaurant for the last two to three years, visiting almost every Saturday to watch college football and hockey. […]

According to police reports, the man told an investigator that Buffalo Wild Wings employees “had heard him make racist jokes and comments in the past.” As a result, some members of the staff “took it upon themselves to tell the large group of (redacted) that they needed to move due to (redacted) being a racist.”

Ugh.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:41 am

Comments

I hate Illinois Nazis.

Comment by Iggy Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:44 am
=== A man at the center of a race-related incident last month at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Naperville was known to restaurant staff for making racist comments and would send back food unless it was served by a white employee, according to Naperville police reports.===

… and yet, they continued to serve this patron apparently on multiple visits?

Is my takeaway… the staff, even giving any benefit of a doubt, felt it was the best choice to *side* with a racist, then to do what’s right and pay for the guy’s meal, the FIRST time he complained, and never let him in again?

That’s my takeaway?

I dunno if this is rehabilitating any thing for BW3 but…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:44 am
I don’t even know where to begin.

Comment by Former Downstater Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:47 am
I feel for the low paid hourly employees who are in a bind, but the manager should have dealt with this years ago. As in, “please leave my establishment if you don’t like your server or other customers, and keep your nasty opinions to yourself.”

Comment by Jibba Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:49 am
I honestly can not fathom this, The only thing that comes to mind is that they feared this guy. How is it that at a family sports bar, that someone sporting a swastica and causing trouble before hasnt’ been barred, that’s how that works, you go into a bar, you cause trouble, please dont’ come back, wow

Comment by Someone you should know Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:49 am
Unless you’re in prison seeking protection with the Aryan Brotherhood, no one has any business having a visible swastika tattoo. This patron should have been asked to cover it on the first sighting and refused service on the second.

Comment by Jocko Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:53 am
And this is a story that won’t die. More issues surrounding this incident unfortunately. And it’s really a recurring thing that’s been allowed to continue.

Comment by Levois J Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:56 am
wow. any manager should back up staff in saying no to anyone with a racist, sexist, homophobic, anti semitic, etc. attitude. institute a company wide policy, which is sad because no one should have to legislate decency.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:59 am
“I feel for the low paid hourly employees who are in a bind,” That sounds like your classic “Hostile Workplace” situation, doesn’t it. But I’m no lawyer, I don’t know if there’s any “there” there to that.

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:09 am
This guy obviously has some serious issues and should have been barred years back when he first started making racial remarks.

Comment by Long Time R Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:12 am
There remains the question of the waiter who asked the patrons to move. On the news last night, they said the restaurant was “empty.” I don’t know if that’s true, of course. If the nazi patron was known to be racist, rude and vulgar, I’d like to think the poor waiter was trying to protect the family from being subject to hearing it.

Comment by NoGifts Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:26 am
“but the manager should have dealt with this years ago”
THIS! Jibba nailed it. Manager - support your employees. The first time this couple sent food back because they didn’t like the server should have been the last.

Comment by Out Here In The Middle Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:27 am
In addition to extensive training, I would hope large businesses like this with multiple locations would have an incident hotline that managers could call to get direction or backup when things like this occur. It would be good for them to have a place to get support and ask questions like “I have a racist in my location who I would like to eject on their pathetic… do you have my back?”

Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:36 am
The manager should have backed up his staff but didn’t. My advice would be for anyone who doesn’t like what happened to boycott the restaurant. Take your business someplace else. Show your displeasure by spending money at their competitors place of business and do spread the word.

Comment by Ginhouse Tommy Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:37 am
Basically, BWW catered to and protected a known racist, white nationalist, at the expense of their employees and customers. It’s all on them for letting it get this far. Thanks to the brave group of family members who finally outted them.

Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:40 am
- Jocko - Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 10:53 am:

Unless you’re in prison seeking protection with the Aryan Brotherhood, no one has any business having a visible swastika tattoo. This patron should have been asked to cover it on the first sighting and refused service on the second.

They were probably afraid of the goon…probably without cause …as most of these swastika wearing punks are harmless…alone…but that’s the problem with allowing/enabling racism …even tacitly…it encourages them to breed and thereby increases their virulent number.

Gotta have the guts to call these racist bullies out…with righteous prejudice…wherever they voice their wrongful and ugly opinions.

Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:43 am
I’m looking for his name.

Comment by corvax Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:44 am
Dude’s “Economically Anxious” amirite?

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 11:59 am
This is such a shame. I don’t love wings, but a lot of the younger people involved in campaign activities do, so we’ve gone to BWW in different towns a lot. What I really don’t get is that every time I’ve been there, there are plenty of people of every race in those restaurants, and the waitstaff and management include AA Mgrs, and other ethnicities. Not sure I’ve ever been to this particular BWW (I know I’ve been to one in Woodridge). They were always very accommodating and our group always included a lot of diversity among the wing devourers.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 12:07 pm
== Dude’s “Economically Anxious” amirite?==

Definitely. Plus, one of his best friends is black. Also the tattoo is just “really subtle satire“. /s

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 12:12 pm
It makes me wonder what the store (or corporate) policy was regarding such patrons. The staff clearly was not comfortable telling the racist that his business was not wanted; that reflects either an assumption (that management did not contradict) or an explicit policy.

If the staff were not allowed to tell the racist to take a hike (and, it appears, they were not), they may have felt that the only option available was to protect the other patrons by suggesting they move away. It indicates that the staff were not empowered.

If low level staff were dismissed for carrying out explicit or implicit store (or corporate) policy, that’s wrong. I’d like to see more reporting on this. Who was fired and why? What was the store policy (implicit or explicit)?

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 12:15 pm
Fwiw, I feel like my head is going to explode reading the “justification” for their massive and inexcusable screw-up.

Comment by Maryjane Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 12:32 pm
It’s not a swastika, it’s that Hindu symbol that looks like a swastika. /s

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 12:44 pm
I would have bet this post would have been lit up.

Where are the loyal commenters and protectors of southern heritage and the confederate flag and with their outrage at political correctness run amok?

Comment by don he legend Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 12:57 pm
Any patron who refuses service from an employee because of race, religion, or ethnicity should be told to straighten up or leave.

Refusing to serve a customer because they have offensive tattoos or clothing is trickier. It permits a lot of discriminatory behavior.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 1:10 pm
“Where are the loyal commenters and protectors of southern heritage and the confederate flag and with their outrage at political correctness run amok?”……..
probably somewhere on Facebook

Comment by theq Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 1:12 pm
==Where are the loyal commenters and protectors of southern heritage and the confederate flag and with their outrage at political correctness run amok?==

Probably trying to organize a “Boycott BWW in Naperville” Facebook group so they can share their racist memes/GIFs and threats to leave Illinois (they never do) with each other in their own little social media bubble.

Comment by IL4Life Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 1:47 pm
I didn’t know Arthur Jones liked BWW.

Comment by Steve Rogers Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 2:45 pm
==I didn’t know Arthur Jones liked BWW.==

They said he went there to watch hockey, so my money’s on Bobby Hull.

Comment by Roadrager Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 3:06 pm
And college football. Does he know black kids play college football?

Comment by JW Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 3:36 pm
-I didn’t know Arthur Jones liked BWW-

Probably saw their boneless wings were all white meat and got excited.

-Where are our loyal commenters and protectors of southern heritage-

Licking their wounds after losing the Battle of DuQuoin.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 4:23 pm
Swastika-guy might be the bravest person I’ve ever heard of. Would you knowingly and repeatedly insult people who regularly prepare and serve your food? For reference, pay attention to the character “Celie” in the movie “The Color Purple”.

Comment by Stuntman Bob's Brother Thursday, Nov 14, 19 @ 6:11 pm