Morton’s Steakhouse apologizes after accusations of mistreating cancer patient

The upscale steakhouse chain, Morton’s, is under fire for alleged mistreatment of a customer at their Nashville, Tennessee location, who was undergoing cancer treatment. Customers voiced their displeasure with the restaurant on Facebook, Yelp and Twitter sparking a social media firestorm.

As reported by WZTV Fox 17, a group of 16 patrons were celebrating a company Christmas party at the establishment. After dinner, one man in the group, Robert Chambers, put on a wool beanie and then was promptly asked to remove it. He complied, and later the group informed the assistant manager that the customer in their party was sensitive to cold because he was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Rather than compassionately relaxing their no-hat policy given the new information, witnesses say that Morton’s management told them he could wear the hat if he presented a doctor’s note, or if the group gave prior notice so they could be placed in a private dining area. Shortly after that Mr. Chambers, his wife, and their children got up to leave the restaurant.

To make matters worse, police arrived on the scene and the entire party was asked to leave, despite reports that they remained civil. Jason M. wrote on Yelp, “…we were a table of 16 with a $2,000+ tab and being treated like criminals. I will never step foot in this establishment again, and I will tell everyone that listens to take their business elsewhere. I will also make sure their corporate management hears about how awfully we were treated.” Amanda W., who was there with her husband for his company party, wrote a Yelp review that included, “On our way out, my protective spouse asked the manager if we looked like criminals. To which he responded, ‘the cops just patrol this area and decided to check in.’ Riiiight.”

The corporate management responded to the incident on their Facebook page saying, “Morton’s fans: We are aware of the situation that happened at our Nashville location over the weekend. We appreciate you all bringing it to our attention, and we have reached out to the parties involved and can assure you that all facts will be uncovered. Please know that our corporate executives are dedicated to making this right with our customers. We appreciate everyone's concern.”

Those on social media reacted strongly to this negative story. It’s a far cry from the positive press that the steakhouse chain received for their social media efforts in the past. In August 2011, Morton’s floored Peter Shankman, a fan of their food, by responding to a tweet that jokingly read, “Hey @Mortons – can you meet me at newark airport with a porterhouse when I land in two hours? K, thanks. :)” A man named Alex from Morton’s Hackensack was dressed in a tuxedo and met Mr. Shankman at Newark airport with a Porterhouse steak, shrimp, potatoes, bread, and silverware.

According to Morton’s website, the “Morton’s Culture” is outlined as one, “Driven by the desire to provide genuine hospitality—for our guests and our employees—we offer a setting where people truly care about one another, and show it in everything they do.” It looks like Morton’s is living up to this despite their earlier mistake and has apologized to their Nashville customer. Tim Whitlock, Morton’s Sr. V.P. Operations & COO issued a statement on Facebook reading in part, “There was a complete and total misunderstanding by our staff who had no idea that our guest had a medical condition. Our actions were uninformed and our intentions were not malicious. As a sign of our sincere apology and commitment to the community, we are donating on behalf of Mr. Chambers, $2,000.00 to the St. Jude’s Hospital. In addition, Morton's The Steakhouse will also partner with Mr. Chambers to underwrite a cancer fundraiser.”

Robert Chambers also posted a statement on his Facebook page saying, “Apology accepted time too be on. I have more important things to fight than Morton's. Thanks to all of you for your words of support and angst over the situation. It's about empathy and how people are treated regardless of the situation.”

Video and more info: WZTV, Yelp, Facebook/Robert Chambers, Facebook/Morton’s The Steakhouse