This Man's Facebook Post Is Going Viral After a Couple Refused to Tip His Granddaughter

When Sadie Elledge served a couple lunch at a restaurant in Harrisonburg, VA, the waitress sensed something wasn't right from the beginning. They wouldn't talk much to her or make eye contact, she told People magazine. Her instincts were right; instead of leaving her a tip, the couple left her a note that said, "We only tip citizens." Sadie, whose parents are Honduran and Mexican, was born in the United States.

After discovering the note a few hours after they left the restaurant — called Jess' Lunch, known for its hot dogs and Greek food — Sadie approached her manager and said, "It shouldn't matter if I'm Latina or not, everybody should be treated with respect and be treated the same." Her grandfather, John Elledge, took it upon himself to photograph the note and share it on Facebook.

John's post has since gone viral, and the offending couple returned to the restaurant angry that it was shared. Speaking to the Washington Post, John detailed his interaction with the couple. "We didn't talk much. She was mad that I posted it . . . the guy, he was being really belligerent," he said. "She was asking me why I posted it, I said obviously, it was an insult — your signature against my granddaughter — darn right I'm going to post it. And no apologies."

The restaurant has weighed in on the incident and banned the couple from returning. Ironically, the owner of the restaurant is an immigrant himself; in a Facebook post under the restaurant's name, the owner says he came to the US from Greece 15 years ago.

Here is an interview with Sadie and WHSV News, a local Harrisonburg station.