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Mexican Restaurant Employee ‘Mistakenly’ Addresses Woman Named Nyjah As N-Word

The employee is claiming ignorance in the wake of the backlash.

Nyjah Vest went to a Mexican restaurant recently and reportedly received a receipt with much more than an accounting of the food she purchased.

On Saturday (September 7), Vest went to El Porton Mexican Restaurant in Duluth, Georgia with some friends and placed an order. The waiter who took the order reportedly wrote Vest’s first name down in order to issue her a check after she was done eating.

When the waiter returned from taking Vest and her group’s order, a co-worker asked for Vest’s first name so they could enter it into the restaurant’s system. The waiter then spelled out the n-word letter by letter for his co-worker to enter in.

“I even looked at him and asked, ‘are you sure?’” The waiter, who asked to remain unnamed, told FOX 5 Atlanta. “Even him leaving with that order, I kind of felt uncomfortable as well, because we all know that’s not a word to just throw around.”

The employee then double-checked with with the waiter to make sure the spelling was correct, to which he confirmed it was.

After completing her dining experience, Vest was issued the check with n-word on it.

Screenshot: Fox 5 Atlanta news package
Screenshot: Fox 5 Atlanta news package

According to the restaurant, the waiter has since apologized for issuing a check with a racial slur on it, however Vest isn’t buying it.

“I don’t know how the n-word got put on my order,” Vest told the local news station. “I had my (debit) card there with my name on it as well, and I got rung up as the n-word.

“If somebody told me their name was that, I wouldn’t even acknowledge it,” she continued, “I would think they’re prank calling me or something. It’s a joke.”

Vest later returned to the restaurant on Sunday night where she received a refund for her food, as well as an apology from the owner. She says she just wants to be respected and treated like any other patron.

“I really feel disrespected, especially because I’ve eaten here [before],” she concluded.

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