A Hispanic-owned barbecue restaurant in Milliken, Colorado is hosting a “White Appreciation Day” next month, which upset many people on the Internet.
Edgar Antillon and Miguel Jimenez, the owners of Rubbin’ Buttz BBQ, will offer a 10 percent discount exclusively for white people on June 11. While the event was originally planned as a joke, the owners have since officially scheduled “White Appreciation Day” and put up a sign to advertise. The sign for the event explains that it is being held, “Because all Americans should be celebrated!”
“We have a whole month for Black History Month. We have a whole month for Hispanic heritage month, so we figured the least we could do was offer one day to appreciate white Americans,” Antillon, whose parents are from Mexico, told KUSA-TV.
As a result of the move, there has been backlash against Rubbin’ Buttz BBQ. Individuals have taken to social media to share their opinions on the business decision, causing the restaurant to be a trending topic on Twitter. Despite never eating at Rubbin’ Buttz BBQ, people have been leaving several negative reviews on Yelp. In a Facebook post, Rubbin’ Buttz BBQ claims it has even been the target of a bomb threat.
There could also be legal repercussions for the BBQ joint as a result of the discount. Jennifer McPherson, from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ Civil Rights Division, told KUSA-TV, “If someone felt like they were being discriminated against they could come to the civil rights division and file a complaint with our office and we would investigate that.”
Antillon does not believe the event is discriminatory. He explained, “We’re all American, plain and simple, whether you come from a different country or you were born here, we’re all Americans.”
The owners of Rubbin’ Buttz BBQ haven’t backed down. “As a Mexican, I wanted to highlight a double standard. I have more to say, and I will,” the restaurant owner said in a Facebook post.