A burger restaurant in Danville, Illinois is facing some backlash after a customer spotted an “offensive” bumper sticker displayed on the company’s wall.
“If you can’t read this [Arabic writing], thank a Marine,” the sticker read.
Sam Schnelle, a customer at Gross’ Burgers, shared a picture of the sign on Facebook (which is now deleted) in an attempt to expose Gross’ Burgers for “racism.”
“Come for the burgers, stay for the blatant racism!” one person commented on the post, according to Yahoo.
Another wrote, “Please consider that our community is not just for those who are native-born English speakers. Let's move forward and make Danville welcoming and inclusive for everyone who wants to build it up and make it great.”
Schnelle’s offense toward the sticker grew and he approached the owner of the restaurant, Brad Gross, and asked him to take the sign down.
Gross listened to Schnelle’s concerns and guess what?
He kept the sign up.
The restaurant owner says the message on the sticker was not meant to be offensive and his supporters joined him in that sentiment, saying the sign has been misunderstood.
“Learn the history of the restaurant, Marine owned and operated,” a supporter posted. “Get over it.”
“It's not about speaking another language,” another supporter wrote. “Be fluent in as many [ways] as you want. That's great. But the sign is about being under a Muslim law or Sharia law & government that would make us write Arabic and abide by their laws. We need to thank our military we are not forced to be under that type of law.”
Gross tells WCIA a Marine that served in Iraq gave him the bumper sticker and it has been in his restaurant for over a decade.
“He brought it in and asked me to put it up, and I said sure go ahead and put it up and it's been there for all these years," he said.
Despite the negative feedback the sticker received, Gross’ Burgers still appears to be doing well.