Restaurant denies discrimination after domestic helper alleges unfair treatment

A restaurant in Hong Kong has denied allegations of discrimination after a domestic helper was allegedly told not to dine inside during a visit on Mother’s Day.

The controversy emerged after an employer shared a social media post claiming her domestic helper and a friend were treated unfairly at a Southeast Asian restaurant in Kai Tak.

According to the post, the pair were allegedly prevented from entering while other customers were seated first. The employer claimed a waiter told them there were no discounts available and allegedly said: “You are domestic helpers, don’t come in to eat.”

The incident sparked heated discussion online, with many netizens criticising the alleged remarks and expressing support for foreign domestic helpers.

Some users said domestic helpers deserved equal respect, while others noted many had spending power and should not be judged based on their occupation.

However, some netizens questioned whether the incident may have involved misunderstanding or miscommunication.

The restaurant, Sun Thai Restaurant, later issued a statement denying staff had made any discriminatory remarks.

It said Mother’s Day reservations were fully booked and tables had been reserved for customers with prior bookings, adding that walk-in diners were not intentionally refused entry.

The restaurant also said afternoon tea discounts are only available on weekdays and were suspended across all branches on the day of the incident.

According to the statement, staff attempted to explain the arrangements in English to the helper and her friend. The restaurant apologized if any unclear communication had caused misunderstanding, but stressed that staff had “never made any insulting or discriminatory remarks.”

The restaurant added that it had invited the helper and her friend to return so it could apologize in person and offer a gesture of goodwill, reiterating that it “does not discriminate against any customers.”

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