Photo: Google Maps
Famous Queenstown burger restaurant Fergburger has apologised to a customer after an order receipt contained a racial slur.
A customer from Taiwan ordered from the restaurant on Sunday and photos show a server had written "ching chang" on the docket.
The customer then contacted local tour guide Roxie Fu, co-owner of Mini Tours following the ordeal.
Fu said the customer was hurt, as none of her friends she was with had a ticket containing the racial slur.
"She go there with her friends, like four of them and when the staff took the order they didn't take her name and she just paid and got the docket and then she found out the ticket had a word on it called 'ching chang', which is quite racist."
Fu said the woman felt like she was individually attacked.
"At the beginning, she was quite upset as she was not 100 percent if it was racist [but thought] What have I done? What have she done wrong? She didn't do anything wrong."
'Fergburger apologises'
A customer says his receipt at famous restaurant Fergburger included a racial slur. Photo: Supplied
Fergburger has since written a formal apology to the customer.
"Fergburger acknowledges and deeply regrets a recent incident involving inappropriate and insensitive labelling on a customer order. We extend our sincere apologies to the customer affected and to anyone else who may have been hurt or offended.
"At Fergburger, we are committed to creating an environment where all customers feel welcome, respected and valued. The behaviour displayed in this incident is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the values we uphold.
"Upon learning of the incident, we immediately launched a thorough internal investigation to understand how this occurred and to ensure accountability."
Fergburger has been operating since 2001 and has become so popular wait times can be hours long, with the line often going outside of the store and down the street.
The burger joint said it had written a formal apology to the customer and had personally invited the customer to contact the general manager directly, should they wish to discuss the matter further.
It said it was also working with the employee responsible - who was not the person identified on the receipt.
"We are addressing the matter directly with the employee involved to ensure appropriate action is taken. We want to clarify that the employee identified on the receipt was not the employee that was responsible for this incident."
Fergburger said it would also be implementing additional cultural sensitivity and inclusivity training for all team members to prevent similar incidents in the future.
It said it would also conduct a comprehensive review of internal policies and procedures to reinforce its commitment to respectful and inclusive practices.
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