ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A police department outside Washington says an officer was denied service at a local Noodles & Company restaurant.
Alexandria, Virginia, police spokeswoman Crystal Nosal tells local news outlets that a female officer in uniform went Monday evening to the restaurant and stood in line. She says a female cook came out from the back and told the cashier, "You better pull me off the line, because I'm not cooking for," then gestured at the officer.
Nosal says the cashier laughed and the officer left.
Police Chief Earl Cook went Tuesday to Noodles & Company to speak with management. Cook says managers apologized for the incident and said they would conduct an internal investigation.
Noodles & Company said in a statement that the restaurant is working to "resolve this matter as quickly as possible."
The incident comes amid heightened tension over police shootings of blacks.
The following is a statement from Noodles & Company:
“Noodles & Company expects the highest ethical and personal behavior from its team members. We value each of our guests and are committed to treating every one with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.
Our guests rightly expect that we would not employ team members who do not uphold these core values.
We are actively working with the local police department to investigate the claim that an officer was denied service at our Alexandria, Virginia restaurant so that we can take appropriate disciplinary action. If we are able to determine a team member acted in this manner, they will be terminated immediately.
We are privileged to serve law enforcement officers who serve and protect us, often at risk to their own personal safety, and warmly welcome them to any of our locations.”