Matt Griffin says he's been going to Collins Tavern in West Springfield for more than ten years.
He’s never had an issue, until last Wednesday. While dining in with a friend, he was approached by a man using racist remarks.
"A gentleman who was five feet away from us, turned to us from the bar, walked over to me and said 'excuse me, are you a n— or a black guy?'" Griffin explained.
Griffin said both he and his friend were in shock.
"He repeated himself again. ‘I just have a question are you an n-bomb or a black guy?’” Griffin said.
Griffin said they left the establishment immediately. He said he received a text from the bartender working, apologizing for what happened, and confirming the man who approached him was an employee. The next day, a manager called Griffin.
"I had also explained to him, from my understanding, he's an employee. He said ‘yeah that is correct. I have known this guy for 42 years. I have known him all my life,’” Griffin told Spectrum News 1.
He said he spoke to two different managers who apologized for the incident. He said one said an apology would be made by the person who made the comments as well, but all Griffin received from him was a blank email.
"I said 'you aren't going to fire him?' He said 'no, I cannot do that.' I said 'this conversation has ended. You do not have my business,'” Griffin said.
Griffin has coached high school sports in the community for nearly 23 years, and is also an outreach coordinator. He said no matter the circumstance, there is no place for racism, and the man should have been fired, just like any incident alike, should have consequences.
"Because it's the right thing to do. One hundred percent, it's the right thing to do as an owner, a manager, as a coach, a principal, a head, or an admin, that is the right thing to do,” he said.
Collins Tavern posted on Facebook, thanking Griffin for alerting them of his experience. Collins Tavern went on to say they deplore any form of discrimination, whether based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.
In the post, they said the individual who made the remarks was a customer, who has not worked there for more than three years, but has occasionally "lent a hand serving coffee."
The restaurant stated that relationship was terminated in light of all they learned.
"I was angry. I was frustrated,” said Griffin. “I got home, I had to talk to my family about it. I had to talk to my kids about it. It's not an easy thing."
Griffin said he appreciates the community's support and said he hopes more can be done to educate on racial injustices.
"It happens to anybody. It can happen to anybody, a person you love, someone in your family, a person you work with, big town, small town, things are still out there and this needs to stop,” Griffin said.
Spectrum News 1 made attempts to contact Collins Tavern, but no one was available to comment on the situation.
