GUELPH/ERAMOSA – It’s not so much what he considers racist treatment from a McDonald’s employee that irks Michael Campbell so much.
It’s the subsequent handling by the owner, he said in an interview on Feb. 18, a month after he was asked to go to unusual lengths to prove he was using his own credit card to pay for his purchase.
And since then, the Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is boycotting the four McDonald’s restaurants in Guelph as they are owned by the same person, Jennifer Antolin.
Campbell, a Guelph/Eramosa resident who owns a farm near Guelph Lake, said he went to the 243 Woodlawn Road restaurant on Jan. 10 to buy lunch for his family.
He placed his order with a staff person – the automated kiosk had a lineup – and when he went to pay for his $93.18 purchase, a woman wearing a name tag that identified her as “first manager” stepped in and took over the transaction.
And she told him he needed to show photo ID with a signature to use his credit card.
“I knew something was wrong as soon as she took over,” said the 51-year-old.
“She asked to see photo ID with my signature. And then she pulled out a piece of paper and said I needed to sign it so she could match my signature.”
Campbell said he believes he received extra scrutiny because he is Black.
“I was so angry. I pulled out a bunch of cards with my photo, name, and signature. I didn’t want her to think I was trying to get away with something,” he recalled.
“When she said she had to watch me sign a piece of paper, I said no (expletive) way. Just give me my money back.”
Campbell said the staff member refused, saying it is the policy of McDonald’s to verify every credit card purchase over $25. But if he had used the kiosk or placed his order online, there would have been no verification process.
“It makes no sense, that $25 policy,” he said. “I believe she wanted to escalate the situation. I knew I was being baited.”
He ended up throwing the McDonald’s food in the garbage and bringing pizza home for his family.
He said Antolin called him that evening and said she’d conduct an investigation. She called again a few days later to say the $25 policy had also been applied to a white person.
“I guess she thought that proved they’re not racist. But I see that as their discrimination is not only about race,” Campbell continued.
“I asked her how many customers spend more than $25 by credit card and how many of those had been ID’d. The investigation didn’t cover that. That’s when everything broke down,”
Campbell added, “I thought she was empathetic originally, but from our next conversations, I realized Jennifer Antolin was so far removed from what was happening. And there was no explanation as to why I didn’t get my money back.”
He did get his money back eventually. An envelope with a cheque for $93.18 was left at his front door along with a letter of apology.
But not until after Campbell wrote angry letters to McDonald’s corporate headquarters, to Antolin again, and to the Guelph Mercury Tribune, which picked up the story on Feb. 6.
The GBHS saw the story and reached out to Campbell, offering both emotional and practical support.
“It’s sad because we’ve experienced similar incidents,” said GBHS president Denise Francis.
“People say Guelph is not racist, but this proves what we’ve been saying all these years.
“After George Floyd, not much has changed.”
The GBHS also reached out to Antolin but she didn’t return their calls. So the group is boycotting the Guelph franchises.
Francis said they want to talk with Antolin about retraining staff, which must include information about equity and inclusion to be meaningful.
Both Antolin and corporate McDonald’s state there will be retraining of staff.
“As a member of the Guelph community, I want my restaurants to be a place where everybody feels welcome and safe,” Antolin wrote.
“I take the incident reported seriously — this is not the kind of experience we ever want any of our guests to have.
“I am deeply saddened for Mr. Campbell’s experience. I have spoken with Mr. Campbell on a number of occasions to share my sincere apologies and inform him of the action we’re taking. The process used in this instance was incorrect and we have taken steps including communication and re-training of staff to ensure this is not repeated.”
She added, “I remain committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive space in my restaurants for all guests and employees.
“I am therefore hoping to meet with community members to listen, learn and continue to take meaningful steps forward together.”
McDonald’s Canada also sent a statement that reads, “McDonald’s Canada and its franchisees do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. However, we know that we are not perfect, which is why we are working continuously to educate our entire system of nearly 100,000 employees across more than 1,400 restaurants to ensure we are living up to our ambition.
“In accordance with our values, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ambition means we are committed to representing the diverse communities in which we operate and accelerating cultures of inclusion and belonging. These values mean we hold ourselves accountable both when it’s easy and when it’s not.”
It continues, “Alongside our franchisees, we’re committed to driving further actions to make a difference in the local communities we serve.
“In this case, a guest told us we had more work to do, and we are listening. We have been working with the local franchisee and using this as an opportunity to learn and improve, so our guests always feel welcome, comfortable and safe.”
For his part, Campbell said the saddest thing was talking to his kids about the incident.
“They understood and they understood because they’ve seen racism too. That’s what hurts more than anything,” he said.
While GBHS started the boycott, Campbell said he fully supports it.
“How can you (McDonald’s) address a problem when you won’t get on the phone?” he asked.
“I don’t want anyone to lose their job. I just want to see change.
“If you’re not willing to be part of the conversation, how is anything going to change?”
