PASADENA, Texas – A Pasadena restaurant is receiving random threats after a customer's Facebook post went viral.
Cindy Sanchez used to be a regular customer at Kelley's Country Cookin'. She said she was dining at the restaurant Friday morning, when she said she heard employees mistreating a homeless man.
"The waitresses were making faces at him and you could see the disgust in their faces," Sanchez said. "They have a sign up there and it says, 'no shirt, no shoes, no service,' but it doesn't say no shirt, no shoes, no homeless."
Sanchez was so upset about the incident she posted about it on Facebook. In less than 24 hours the post has been shared more than 5,000 times.
"It started with 10 people sharing, then 30 people shared and, I mean, it just went up to thousands of people who were sharing this," Sanchez said.
Now the restaurant's owner, Ron Kelley, says his business is getting threats.
"For one woman to start this fire like this, I just don't understand it," Kelley said.
He and his employees say Sanchez's story is totally false. He showed KPRC2 News surveillance video from the restaurant. In the video you can see Kelley speaking to the homeless man before going to the kitchen and getting him a cup of soup.
"The man comes in here and he has been here numerous times," Kelley said. "We give him food every time."
Now he says one Facebook post is misrepresenting his restaurant and putting his employees at risk.
"People are threatening us, saying they wish the building would burn down," said cashier Kenedi Carroll.
Kelley says for the past 35 years his family has never hesitated to give back to the community.
Meanwhile, Sanchez says since she posted on Facebook, other people have messaged her saying they have also seen employees mistreat certain customers.
Sanchez says people are planning to protest outside the restaurant at 11 a.m. Sunday.