A downtown restaurant owner is offering an apology over a now viral racially charged exchange that happened inside his eatery over the weekend.
In a social media post, Nuriddin Amruddin, the owner of Bamyan Afghan Cuisine, identified his now former business partner as the restaurant worker caught on camera Saturday afternoon shouting obscenities at customers.
The video was first posted to the @Londonblo.g Instagram account and quickly went viral. In it an employee is heard verbally attacking two customers. He states he will not serve them, makes reference to their Pakistani heritage before ordering them out of the restaurant. A woman on the video yells back at the employee that "this is a hate crime."
"I would like to first apologize for the racial behaviour of my partner," Amruddin said in a statement posted to Bamyan Facebook page. "That behaviour is not tolerated at our establishment and as of today that individual has been completely removed from Bamyan Afghan Cuisine, both as an employee and a partner and I am now the sole owner."
While not condoning what happened at the restaurant, Amruddin goes on to state that there is more to the story than what was captured on video. He alludes to a misunderstanding over an order that escalated with a customer threatening physical violence against an employee. It was at that point the former co-owner began yelling.
"This does not justify his behaviour, this is just to put some context to the video," said Amruddin.
He goes on to state that he and his staff love people from Pakistan and all over the globe.
"When you order food from us or come into our restaurant, the experience should only be great. We will continue to make the amazing food you all love and we will ensure that individuals like that are never allowed at Bamyan ever again," said Amruddin.
London police are aware of the video and paid a visit to the restaurant Tuesday.
"No reports have been filed with police by the individuals who filmed or posted the video to social media," said Constable Sandasha Bough. "Our diversity officers reached out to community members in relation to the incident to offer support [Tuesday]."
Police are encouraging the person who recorded the video to call them.