Smoothie King fires employees who refused to serve customers over Trump sweatshirt
· Fox News
Two employees at a Smoothie King in Ann Arbor, Michigan were fired after they refused to serve a couple because the man was wearing a sweatshirt with President Donald Trump's name on it, according to the company.
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"As a brand, Smoothie King is committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with care and respect," the company said in a Monday X post. "Following an investigation into an incident involving a guest who was refused service at a franchised location in Michigan yesterday, the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business."
The couple, Erika Lindemyer and Jake Lindemyer, were asked to leave the Ann Arbor franchise location after they got into a back-and-forth argument with two employees after one said she was uncomfortable with the man’s Trump sweatshirt. Her co-worker defended the other employee's stance and told the couple to leave.
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"We were just wanting a smoothie, and you literally looked at us and I asked you if everything was OK and you said, ‘We don’t feel comfortable serving you’ because of my husband’s hoodie. That is discrimination," Erika Lindemyer said.
"OK, well, have a great day," one former employee is heard saying.
In the video, the other employee is heard saying, "Trump discriminates [against] us," to which Erika Lindemyer responded, "That has nothing to do with us wanting a smoothie!"
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One employee said they had the right to refuse service.
"You asked a question and [her co-worker] gave you an answer. Have a great day. Have a great day. The door’s right there," the worker said.
That same employee also posted the encounter from her perspective on TikTok.
In a Monday Facebook post, Erika Lindemyer wrote, "I’m disgusted as a AMERICAN CITIZEN! I loved Smoothie King and was refused service over my husbands sweatshirt!!!! Talk about DISCRIMINATION!!!! Jake Lindemyer Please share this video. Let’s make these 2 famous."
A GoFundMe page was reportedly set up by one of the employees entitled, "Support for Safety After Online Harassment," but later taken down.
Smoothie King gave a similar statement to Fox News Digital, saying, "As a brand, Smoothie King is committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with kindness and respect. Following an investigation into an incident involving a guest who was refused service at a franchised location in Michigan on Sunday, the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business."
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The company also stated they have reached out to the couple to apologize and that they will be retraining employees.
"Both the franchise owner and Smoothie King corporate have reached out to the guest several times to apologize and will continue to follow up," the company said. "The local owner is also taking further action and enforcing mandatory retraining for all employees that outlines our guest experience standards. We care for everyone who wants to live a healthy and active lifestyle regardless of their race, gender, religion and political affiliation."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Janiyah Mishelle, one of the former employees, said, "My political opinions are very complex. I do not stand on behalf of any political party. I merely refused service because of the alleged affiliations the Trump administration has to [pedophiles]. I believe in the United States & want to see our citizens standing up against binary political logic."
She added, "In my opinion, in this specific instance, I had the right to refuse service due to discomfort with a customer interaction - just as he had the right to wear the political merchandise. I would like to clarify that my statements were/are NOT on behalf of Smoothie King. I would also like to thank everyone who is currently supporting me through the digital harassment, political re-framing, and job-loss."
She said her co-worker wished to remain private on the matter.
Fox News Digital attempted to reach Jake Lindemyer for comment.