Orange County Waiter Asks for ‘Proof of Residency’ Before Letting Diners Eat

A Huntington Beach restaurant is in hot water after a member of the waitstaff allegedly asked a table of diners to show their “proof of residency” before allowing them to eat.

The restaurant in question is Saint Marc Pub-Cafe at Pacific City, a glitzy new indoor-outdoor retail and dining plaza just steps from the beach in Orange County. It’s actually an offshoot of a Japanese brand called simply Saint Marc Cafe, and offers coffee, wine, cheese, and an order-by-iPad experience, according to the OC Weekly. And yet, a worker there still managed to get in trouble.

An OC Register news report says that one Diana Carrillo attempted to dine at the restaurant with three companions last week, but was rebuffed immediately when a worker for the restaurant demanded residency paperwork. All four at the table were Southern California natives carrying valid ID, but nevertheless they were shocked by the accusatory tone of the interaction.

The four spoke to an apologetic manager and ultimately left the restaurant, with Carrillo taking to social media afterwards to vent about the incident. The OC Register notes that the restaurant has in turn apologized again publicly and fired the employee in question, stating that “the individual didn’t follow corporate policy by any stretch of the imagination.” They have also agreed to donate 10% of their weekend sales to the local Orange County Immigrant Youth United charity.

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