Waiter Says He Was Stunned by the Message Left by Customers
Guillermo Ortiz, who works at Planet Hollywood inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal, said the incident occurred on March 21 near the end of his shift, as reported by KTLA News. After the couple paid their bill and left, Ortiz returned to the table about 20 minutes later and opened the check holder. Inside, he found a handwritten note reading: “No tip for illegal. Go back to Mexico.”
The message, Ortiz said, left him shaken.
“I opened the checkbook, and I found the message, and it made me feel bad,” Ortiz said, as quoted by KTLA News. “I’m not even Mexican, I’m Puerto Rican, but my wife is Mexican. There’s no right to treat people like that.”
Ortiz explained that an automatic 18.5% gratuity is typically included with bills at Planet Hollywood, but he had opted to remove it for this particular table after they paid in cash. The racist message was discovered afterward. While Ortiz reported the incident, because they paid in cash and the restaurant is scheduled to close permanently at the end of the week, it is unknown how much the corporation can or will do about the note.
Ortiz attributed the hostility he experienced to broader political tensions in the country. “This is happening because of what’s happening with President Trump right now,” he said. “I think that’s the reason people are acting like this.”
Despite the incident, Ortiz said he takes pride in his work and remains committed to his job. “I’m a server; that’s the way I support my kids; that’s the way I support my family,” he said.
