'No speak English. No service': Restaurant owner forced to take down sign after threats
Language barriers can often be a stumbling block for foreigners when they order food.
So one restaurant owner in Lexington, North Carolina, decided to take the innovative step of putting up a sign saying: No speak English. No service to avoid any problems.
But Greg Simons has now taken down the notice at the Reedy Creek Diner, which also says staff only speak and understand American, after a deluge of complaints.
Language problems: Greg Simons, owner of the Reedy Creek Diner in Lexington, North Carolina, put up a sign saying: 'No speak English. No service'
We started getting threatening phone calls and people using colourful language, he told WGHP.
The controversial sign was also in Spanish, French, Russian, Irish and German, but Mr Simons said he put it up because of an issue with a group of Hispanic customers.
He got the idea after customers left because staff could not speak any Spanish and stressed the notice is down to communication problems rather than racial issues.
Nobody here is bilingual, he told The Dispatch. If you can't tell me what you want, I can't give you what you need. We don't speak any Spanish.
Enough: Mr Simons has taken down the notice after a deluge of complaints. He said: 'We started getting threatening phone calls and colourful language'
Mr Simons said a group got offended because staff could not speak Spanish. They were frustrated,' he told WGHP. 'I was frustrated as well and they left.'
He began working at the Reedy Creek Diner in November 2009 before buying it eight months later and has only had a few problems with Spanish-speaking customers.
But a brick was thrown through a window shortly after he put the sign up, which also said: God bless America and all who those who protect and serve our great country.
One local resident complained: There's never been a problem with any other establishment. I was so angry when I saw (the sign).
Controversial: The sign was also in Spanish, French, Russian, Irish and German, and Mr Simons said it was purely for communicational rather than racial issues
A lot of people were saying they couldn't believe that a local business would do that.
But Mr Simons said the sign, which was up for a month, had much positive feedback.
Hispanic or Latino people make up 8 per cent of North Carolina's population, and last years 111 per cent increase was the states biggest ethnic group rise in a decade.
Poster Comment: