IHOP QUICKLY CHANGES COURSE WHEN MEDIA FINDS OUT WHY THEY FIRED THEIR 13-YEAR SERVER
It’s a little funny, as I was just talking with a friend about historic pancake franchises. Which ones were great, historic, gone, and still there. But I didn’t expect to be writing a sad and angry piece about IHOP, especially right before the holidays. Apparently, the management of the IHOP in Lakeland, Florida, got the wrong organizational memo when it fired a 13-year server, Victoria Hughes. And why they fired her will make the fruit on and in your favorite pancakes curdle like a biblical plague. They fired this Good Samaritan for buying food for a hungry person at work.
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THE GOOD SAMARITAN SERVER SIMPY BOUGHT A HUNGRY PERSON A MEAL BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS
And yes, the optics don’t get any worse than that. Because buying someone hungry a meal out of your own pocket shouldn’t be a pink slip offense. And especially not someone who worked there for 13 years with no problems. Well, except for being a Good Samaritan, apparently. According to IHOP, it was company policy to fire any employee who encouraged undesirables to “loiter” in one of their restaurants. Hughes got a call from her manager a couple days ago which is how she found out she got canned for buying a hungry person a meal.
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NOW, IHOP OFFERS HER JOB BACK, MAKES A DONATION, WANTS TO TRAIN THEIR MANAGERS BETTER
When she asked him why, he told her it was “company policy.” But apparently that policy is now changed, because as soon as media started inquiring about what happened, IHOP quickly offered Hughes her job back. But Sunshine Restaurant Partners, who operates the franchise, also felt the need to put out a statement, which included this missive, “-we will utilize this as an opportunity to train our employees on how to approach instances surrounding food insecurity. To continue our commitment to supporting those in need in our local community, we are making a donation to Feeding America as well as local Lakeland charities that support food insecurity.”
So, on one day you get fired for buying a hungry person a meal, and that’s official policy. But when people find out about it, you’re suddenly donating food and making it an opportunity to train your employees better. That’s what I call a non-denial pivot. I’ll be making pancakes at home, apparently.
