Police: Controversial sign posted at restaurant drive-thru deemed a prank
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LAKE SAINT LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — Police in Lake St. Louis are investigating a sign that was posted in the drive-thru lane of a Popeyes restaurant near Highway N and Highway 64/40.
Lt. Pat Doering said investigators are pretty confident that someone other than a Popeyes’ employee posted the sign.
The sign said, “Effective 6-1-21 this restaurant is under new management and will reserve the right to refuse service to white people. We apologize for any inconvenience. Signed, general manager, Mason.”
Photos of the sign were spreading widely across social media in St. Charles County and beyond. The photos are authentic according to Angela, who saw the same letter when she was in lunch on Monday.
The restaurant was closed on Wednesday, but there was a steady stream of vehicles driving through the drive-thru lane looking for the sign and worried about its potential impact.
“What it does is, it incites more hate,” said a woman named Karen, who also asked to withhold her last name.
The manager of the restaurant told News 4 that the restaurant had to close Wednesday because of the backlash over the sign. He said surveillance video confirmed that the person who put up the sign was not an employee.
“That’s good for the Popeyes, they didn’t do that, but a community you shouldn’t do anything like that that’s going to stir up more problems,” said Kats Berryhill, who came to the restaurant looking for the sign.
Lake St. Louis police said they believe the sign was part of a bad prank. Police checking to see if there’s any connection to recent vandalism at the restaurant.
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