Xenophobic remark sparks outrage at Mexican restaurant
A waiter at a Mexican restaurant in Ohio has received an outpouring of support after a customer left a racist note on the bill, sparking widespread condemnation.
At Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Columbus, a woman wrote “I hope Trump deports you!!!” on the bill’s signature line. In the tip section, she left nothing, instead writing: “Zero. You suck.”
Community raises thousands for waiter through crowdfunding
Following the incident, a loyal customer, Anna Overman, launched a GoFundMe campaign to give the waiter, Ricardo Nonato, the tip he deserved.
Nonato, a U.S. citizen working two jobs, had been serving an $87 lunch on March 2 when he received the hateful note. Overman described him as a “hardworking server” and emphasized that he was just doing his job like any other day, providing great service.
“They enjoyed the food. They enjoyed the service. And then, instead of tipping, they decided to show their true colors in the most disgusting way possible,” Overman said.
The fundraiser, titled “Tip Ricardo: Because hate has no place here,” quickly gained momentum, surpassing the initial goal and raising $39,210 at the time of writing.
Overman assured supporters that 100% of the funds would go directly to Nonato, with the restaurant management assisting in the process.
Customer identified, fired after social media backlash
The incident occurred amid President Donald Trump’s renewed threats of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
After an image of the receipt surfaced on Facebook, the customer, Stephanie Lovins, was identified as an experienced realtor working for Century 21, one of the world’s largest real estate firms.
Following public outrage, Lovins was fired. A Century 21 spokesperson condemned the remark, stating:
“Hate has no place within the Century 21 brand, and we are taking this very seriously.”
Lovins later attempted to claim her card had been stolen and used by someone else. However, the restaurant’s CCTV footage confirmed that she was indeed the one who left the offensive note.
