CEO and Chairman of Papa John's, John Schnatter, apologized to a customer in Florida after one of the pizza company's delivery men left a racist rant on the customer's voicemail by mistake.
ABC News reported that after he delivered a pizza to a customer in Sanford, Florida he dialed the customer by mistake and left a voicemail that was full of racist slurs complaining about the tip he got.
The voicemail message lasted for four minutes in which the employee used the N-word complaining about the $5 tip, which he also incorporated into a song about the customer.
The customer said they tipped 21 percent for the pizza, as they usually do.
The customer posted a video on YouTube in which he showed the pizza delivery receipt, explaining he and his wife tipped 21 percent, "as usual."
"Yeah, they give me five bucks there -- fine outstanding African-American gentleman of the community," the delivery man said in the voicemail and "I guess that's the only requirement for being a [insert N-word] in Sanford."
After the incident Schnatter posted an apology on the Papa John's Facebook page.
He said on the Facebook page, "Friends, I am extremely concerned to learn about the reprehensible language used by two former employees in one of our restaurants. Their thinking and actions defy both my personal and the company's values, and everything for which this company stands."
He added that the employees that were "responsible for this absolutely unacceptable behavior were immediately terminated. My heartfelt apology goes out to the customer involved, his family and our community at large. I am very sorry that anyone would be exposed to these hurtful and painful words by any person involved in any way with our company," Schnatter said. Thank you for your important comments. I have personally reached out to our customer to share my own thoughts and offer my deepest apology."
