Screenshot from Tiktok
Audio By Carbonatix
Torchy’s Tacos has responded to an online video of a group dressed in Nazi clothing that was served at its Fort Worth Midtown store on Oct. 8.
The video of the group went viral on TikTok earlier this week after it was posted on Sunday. In the video, one member of the group is seen wearing a red swastika armband. Another wears a sweatshirt depicting a skull and the phrase “Gott mit uns” (“God with us”), which was commonly used in Nazi Germany.
The TikTok was posted by Jessica Gregorio, who had entered Torchy’s for lunch after the group had already found seating and had eaten. She first noticed the member wearing the armband after ordering her meal and initially thought the men were in costume. However, she later realized the men were part of a white supremacy organization when she observed the blatant Nazi paraphernalia they wore, including one man who wore a Black Sun shirt.
@dropdeadgorjessx
After filming the group, Gregorio says one of the members walked by her and said “white power.” Gregorio, who is of Jewish descent, says the phrase set her off and she started a verbal altercation with him.
“I let him know that I was a proud Jew,” Gregorio says. “He responded by telling me that’s why we’re getting blasted in Israel.”
Shortly after the altercation, the group left. Gregorio says two group members later tried to reenter the restaurant, but that Torchy’s staff denied them service. She then immediately spoke to a Torchy’s employee and questioned why the group had been served when it was “obvious what they were wearing and what they were there for.”
Gregorio says the restaurant’s team told her they’d been caught off guard and their regional manager had told them to serve the group and get them out as quickly as possible. The manager also told Gregorio he had served the group himself to keep his staff distanced and safe from its members, she says.
“But essentially, nobody from Torchy’s or any other customer said anything until I started questioning why they were served,” Gregorio says.
Torchy’s released an online statement on Oct. 10 in response to the incident and Gregorio’s video, which has since received over 360,000 views. In a social media post, the Austin-based restaurant denounced the group on X (Twitter).
“Let us be clear, we do not stand for hate and do not support this group or any hate group,” the statement says. “In a difficult situation, our team acted to first ensure the safety of other guests and our team members. […] We will continue working closely with local authorities to ensure the safety of our guests and team members.”
Gregorio says she was disappointed by the lack of action taken by the staff on Sunday. However, as someone who has worked in the service industry for 15 years, she says she has empathy for the Torchy’s team members and understands their difficult position. As for the other patrons, Gregorio says their lack of response was the most disappointing for her to witness.
“They had already been around these people way before I had gotten there and never said a word,” Gregorio says. “And then during the altercation, after the altercation, they really didn’t say anything.”
While Gregorio knows she could have shared the video and her story anonymously, she says she understands the significance of doing so openly.
“I kind of do want to show them [white supremacists] that I am not scared of you,” Gregorio says. “Not just the Jewish community, but all of these people, have to be able to say ‘I’m not afraid of you’ because fear is what gives them power. I feel like I’m taking my power back.”
Gregorio says she has yet to decide whether she will return to the Torchy’s. The situation has made her question the company’s morals, as no statements were made until she had posted the video and was interviewed about her experience. However, she says she is hopeful that Torchy’s will stay true to its statement and hopes other companies will consider how they can take action in the event of similar incidents.
“Businesses, not just restaurants, but all businesses would take into consideration what they’re saying when they let somebody like that patron their business,” Gregorio says. “Because they [Torchy’s] were worried about that group of 10 people causing a scene. But at the end of the day, it only took one person to post a video that made an even bigger scene. And now they have people who question their morality as an entire company.”
FUCK HATE pic.twitter.com/GZUsFm5YT1
— Torchy's Tacos (@torchystacos) October 10, 2023
