Traveller family wins compensation after Pizza Express 'discrimination' incident
A Traveller family who was told by Pizza Express staff to pay for their meal before they were seated has won an out of court settlement from the company after claiming discrimination.
Pizza Express has agreed to pay the family of seven tens of thousands of pounds after the incident in the Windsor branch of the national brand-name restaurant chain ruined their day out.
The manager at the branch demanded an upfront payment before the family was seated, which was not the standard policy in the restaurant at the time.
“We would have to pay upfront because we are members of the Travelling community, we felt so disgusted in the way we were treated and embarrassed, that we left the premises,” the father of the Traveller family told the Travellers’ Times.
A spokesperson for Pizza Express told the Travellers’ Times said that all staff undergo equalities training to “ensure that we create a welcoming environment for everyone.”
“We have been in contact with the customer in question and consider the matter to have been fully addressed after having appropriately responded,” they added.
John Reilly C.E.O of the Gypsy Traveller League (GTL) has released a statement towards Pizza Express:
“I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the treatment of the Traveller Community in your establishments,” stated John Reilly.
“It is disheartening to see that, in a world where we strive for equality and inclusivity, members of the Traveller community continue to face discrimination rooted in outdated stereotypes.”
“At GTL, we believe that every individual, regardless of their background, deserves to be treated with respect and fairness. Unfortunately, it appears that this principle is not always upheld in your restaurants, and we can no longer stand by in silence.”
“The Traveller Community is too often judged and mistreated based on harmful generalizations, and we feel strongly that this needs to be addressed. We are committed to working towards a future where all people, regardless of their background are treated equally.”
“We hope that you will take this concern seriously and work to ensure that discrimination has no place in your establishments. We look forward to hearing from you on how Pizza Express intends to address this issue and foster a more inclusive environment for all.”
By Johnny P. Collins for TT News
LinkedIn/ Instagram @johnnypcollins
(Image: By PizzaExpress Marketing - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17521846)