'We Don't Serve People like You.' Disabled Woman Is Not Allowed into Restaurant, Next Day She Comes on Foot – Story of the Day

A woman in a wheelchair walked into a restaurant, but the waiter turned her away with disgust. She went home to change clothes, came back, and was allowed in. But they treated her awfully, so the following day, she returned, stunning them all with the truth of her visit.

"Ma'am, you can't come in," the waiter of a restaurant in downtown Chicago said to Fiona at the door. The woman's eyebrow raised questioningly.

"I have a reservation," she added.

"Well, that's fine. But we don't serve people like you here," he continued, starting to sound exasperated.

"Sure," Xavier responded, swallowing thickly. But Fiona saw him smiling, and almost rolled her own eyes at the idea that she was going to praise him to the manager.

"People like me? What does that mean?" Fiona wondered calmly. She knew this waiter wanted to turn her away because she was in a wheelchair. But she wanted to see what he said. She had a plan.

The waiter wet his lips and ran a hand through his hand, exasperated. "You're not dressed for this restaurant, ma'am," he said through tight lips.

"Oh, that's it? Not to worry. I'll change and come back," Fiona said and rolled away. Her house was nearby anyway.

A few minutes later, she was back and waited for the same man to tell her she couldn't enter. "See, young man. I changed clothes. Now, I'm keeping the dress code, right?" she taunted, but the waiter didn't understand her tone.

"Yes, ma'am. Come on in," he said and ushered her inside reluctantly. He helped her set up the table, although Fiona could sense how begrudgingly he did so, threw the menu down, and walked away.

For the rest of the meal, it was almost impossible to get his attention or that of almost anyone else in the restaurant. Instead, a young woman, who seemed to be the busgirl, approached her every time she called, bringing her water and even helping her with cutlery.

When Fiona asked for the bill, the waiter actively ignored her, preferring to talk to the bartender or another waitress. "I guess he doesn't like tips," Fiona thought sarcastically. But the busgirl brought it, and Fiona paid quickly, leaving $50 for Sarah. The girl helped her roll out of the restaurant, but Fiona stopped her.

"Young man," she called for the waiter's attention. The man had the audacity to roll his eyes and look at her with impatience.

"This is not over," she continued. The waiter turned back to what he was doing, ignoring her, and Fiona rolled out of the restaurant.

The next day…

Fiona dressed to the nines as she was going to the same restaurant that night. But this time, she would not be using a wheelchair. She dressed in her most elegant business clothes, added her best accessories, and went a bit heavier on her makeup.

She arrived and was greeted immediately by the same waiter as the previous day. But he obviously didn't recognize her. He gently and cheerfully guided her to a table and tended to her with a flourish.

"My name is Xavier, and I'll be your waiter for the night. Would you like something to drink?" he asked, and Fiona smiled at finally knowing his name.

She ordered a bottle of the most expensive wine in the place but stopped Xavier when she saw the busgirl from yesterday. "What's that girl's name?"

"Ah, Sarah, I think. She's new here," Xavier said, a bit confused, but he was highly serviceable today. "I'll go get your wine while you peruse our menu."

Fiona ate and drank as if nothing was wrong, but when Xavier brought the check, she requested something. "Young man, can you call the manager here, and you can come with him."

"Sure," Xavier responded, swallowing thickly. But Fiona saw him smiling and almost rolled her own eyes at the idea that she was going to praise him to the manager.

When the manager, Mr. Garrison, arrived, she introduced herself. "Oh, Mrs. Du Pont. Of course! It's so nice to see you," he said and turned to Xavier. "She's buying the restaurant. Xavier here is one of our best on staff. I'm glad you had him today."

They were both smiling widely at her, but Fiona shook her head. "I'm not glad. I came here yesterday and got extremely different treatment from this man," she started, raising her eyebrows at Xavier.

"What? I don't remember," he countered, frowning.

"I was the woman in the wheelchair," she revealed, and his eyes widened. The manager was so confused. "First, he told me I was not dressed correctly, and then when I changed clothes and came back, he refused to serve me properly, and I know why. He's an ableist and thought I was no one. I saw other staff ignoring me too."

Mr. Garrison glared at Xavier and started apologizing profusely. "Is there anything I can do for you now?"

"Yes, I'm overhauling the entire staff. They're all fired, and you too, Mr. Garrison. Because I'm sure Xavier here learned this behavior from his higher-ups. I don't want people like that in my restaurant," Fiona said, standing up and throwing her cloth napkin on the table. "Oh, except that busgirl. She can stay."

Fiona walked out, leaving the men with their mouths open. She kept her promise. Almost the entire staff was replaced except Sarah, and when she hired new people, she trained them to treat everyone with respect, even though they had the poshest restaurant in town.

What can we learn from this story?

• Everyone deserves to respect no matter their gender, status, disabilities, orientation, etc. Xavier treated Fiona horribly for being in a wheelchair and not seeming like a person with money, and he learned a harsh lesson.
• It's essential to have staff who will honor your values. As a business owner, Fiona believed in treating everyone politely. She had to fire some people to make her restaurant better.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older disabled woman who was mocked at a restaurant until the owner shouted her name.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.