A man in California who was denied service at the popular Roscoe’s House Of Chicken ‘N Waffles because he was not wearing a mask pulled out a gun and robbed the restaurant. It wasn’t money he was looking for. It was chicken and waffles. And syrup.
The California-based soul food restaurant chain was founded in 1975 by Herb Hudson, a Harlem native. It’s such an L.A. institution that people don’t even question the strange combo anymore, the Los Angeles Times reported. The New York Times refers to Roscoe’s as a “beloved soul food chain”.
The maskless man at the Roscoe’s in Pasadena demanded that the staff give him all the chicken and waffles they had. Then he ran off and remains at large, according to authorities.
The incident happened at the Roscoe’s on Lake Avenue in Pasadena around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3.
When the man entered the restaurant, a cashier asked him to put on a mask, per health requirements. He was told he could return if he was wearing one. Instead, he showed up at the back of the restaurant with a gun, ABC7 reported.
The man told an employee, “‘Why don’t you come over here and tell me to my face,’” Robert Gonzalez, a cook, told CBS Los Angeles. “And he told him again, ‘Just put a mask on,’ and then that’s when he got mad and pulled out a gun, I guess.”
Gonzalez added, “He comes straight toward me with a gun, pointing at me and saying ‘Put all the chicken in the bag.’”
The suspect demanded that the staff turn over food — chicken, waffles, syrup — to him, not cash.
“He didn’t take any cash,” manager Angela Prieto told ABC 7 News. “He actually took chicken and before he walked out the door, he took syrup for his chicken.
“I understand our chicken is good, but, I mean, that’s some expensive chicken he’s got there,” Gonzalez said. “It was just pretty stupid and crazy at the same time.”
None of the employees were harmed.
Of course, Twitter had a field day.
“So he came in to pay for chicken, but they turned him away for not dressing like a bandit. Now they’re mad because he came back as a bandit,” posted one user.
Another noted, “i still can’t believe in an era when people are encouraged to wear masks criminals commit crimes while not wearing a mask”.
One user pointed out how good the chicken must be. “Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles must be pretty good. “Its worth robbing for”… Now that’s a slogan. In all honesty thank the lord that no one was hurt.”
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Although the robbery was unusual and no blood was shed, it was still scary for the staff.
“They were feeling scared, especially my cashier,” Prieto said. “She was very, very scared. And when I first talked to her she was basically hysterical, but after a while she calmed down and started laughing about it because she realized all he did was take some chicken.”
Surveillance video captured the man’s face clearly because he wasn’t wearing a mask.
“It would have been ten times cooler if he payed for the stuff. Some folks just don’t understand the importance showmanship,” a Twitter user said.
During the past year, several others have made headlines or at least garnered 15 minutes of fame for refusing to wear a mask.
The Roscoe’s website lists eight locations in California.
