Minnesota Cop Says Hardee's Cook Refused To Make Her Food

A Minnesota police officer says she was denied service at a Hardee’s restaurant because the employee serving her didn’t like law enforcement.

Officer Jackie Minks was dining at the Hardee’s restaurant in Milaca, Minnesota, on Oct. 13 when the incident occurred, Grand Forks Herald reported. She wrote about her encounter with one of the cooks on Facebook, claiming the employee refused to make food for her "because she doesn’t like cops.”

“When I talked to the manager about it she dismissed it as ‘silly’ and said she wasn’t going to do anything with the employee," Minks wrote. "I asked for the phone number of her general manager and she said she didn’t have it. I asked for the phone number for the headquarters of Hardee’s, she told me to ‘look it up on Hardee’s.com.’”

Several social media users expressed their outrage in the comments section. Some claimed they called Hardee’s customer service line to issue complaints.

One of the commenters shared an email response she received from director of operations for Northland Restaurant Group, Dave Ostendorf, who owns several Hardee’s restaurants in the Upper Midwest.

The Grand Forks Herals reports that Ostendorf wrote:

“It is understandable that the conduct and decision making at the Milaca location yesterday was not made of sound [judgment]. It could have been handled in a much more professional manner.

"I wish to apologize to you as I did Jackie [Minks], for the less than deserving appreciation that was shown to her and that all officers deserve. We do not allow our employees to decide who gets served and who doesn’t. … There will be quick and decisive internal action taken to handle this matter.”

This isn’t the first time a police officer has been denied service for being a cop. In September, an Arby’s employee in Florida was terminated and another suspended for refusing to service Sgt. Jennifer Martin of the Pembroke Pines Police Department.

According to the police report, the drive-thru window clerk delayed Martin’s service intentionally. The manager then told the officer that the clerk didn’t want to serve her because she was a police officer and laughed.

An Arby’s spokesperson told the Orlando Sun Sentinel that the manager was fired. The clerk was suspended for two days with pay.

Sources: Grand Forks Herald, Orlando Sun Sentinel