Hateful and racist messages were shown on a sign outside a local restaurant.
It happened earlier this week on a fire truck parked outside Mama Lena’s Firehouse Grill in Kenedy Township.
A video of the sign has been circulating on social media. It shows messages like “Whites Only” followed by a racial slur displayed digitally in rotation.
“Oh, my God! I would not think that around here,” Becky Lauda said after Channel 11 showed her the video. “This is a diverse neighborhood and everyone seems to get along around here. I don’t know who would do that.”
Right now, no one knows who did it. Kennedy Township Police are investigating.
Restaurant management shared a statement on social media saying:
“This message was NOT created, approved, or posted by us. It does NOT reflect who we are, our values, or our business [...] As soon as we became aware of the issue, we shut the sign down immediately, secured the system, and took steps to prevent this from happening again.”
“I like Mama Lena’s. That’s horrible someone would do that,” Shavonne Giles said.
The restaurant isn’t open yet but there is another Mama Lena’s down the road in McKees Rocks.
The owner told Channel 11 over the phone that they are a part of the community and would never do something like this.
“It’s hateful. It’s not funny. There is nothing funny about hate,” Lauda said.
A newly-posted message on the restaurant’s Facebook page thanked the community for its support.
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