A restaurant manager in Los Angeles lost his job this week after he criticized a gay actor for kissing his date. The restaurant has since issued an apology & announced the firing of the manager following a complaint from one of the gay patrons on Instagram.
Actor Drew Droege was on a date at popular Los Angeles restaurant “El Compadre” on Monday, Dec. 12. Droege stated that his date and him were having drinks with their arms around each other after having enjoyed dinner at the Echo Park establishment. The two kissed a couple of times before being approached by a manager who asked them to stop because they were in a “family restaurant.” In an Instagram post, Droege described the event by writing, “I asked if anyone had complained to him, as we looked around and only saw happy straight couples eating, laughing, doing the same thing we were doing.” To which Droege alleges that the manager responded, “I don’t care if you’re the President of the United States, we don’t allow your behavior here.”
“In 2022. In Echo Park, CA. At 6:30 p.m. on a Monday. The chilling and pointed tone of ‘we’re a family restaurant. We don’t allow your behavior here,’” the actor wrote. “Ever wonder why gay people often seem nervous? Why do we walk faster? Why do we work so hard to please others and be good little citizens in this world?” He also added that his date and him made out in the restaurant’s parking lot after leaving.
The restaurant responded by condemning the manager’s actions via Instagram. “We want to sincerely apologize for the actions of our manager on the night of December 12th. This is not representative of our core values at El Compadre, and we wanted to let our customers know that the manager has been terminated.”