Cook Refuses to Serve Officer in Alexandria: Police

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A police officer in uniform left a restaurant Monday in Alexandria after a cook told the cashier that she would not serve her, according to a spokeswoman for the Alexandria Police Department.

As the officer was waiting to place her order, she said a female cook walked to the cashier and "said something along the lines of 'I'm not serving that one,' " Alexandria Police Department spokeswoman Crystal Nosal said. She also said the cook and cashier laughed and said something she couldn’t hear, according to the spokeswoman.

The officer at that point chose to leave the restaurant and reported the incident to her boss at the police department, Nosal said.

The refusal of service, which took place Monday night at the Noodles & Co. at Alexandria Commons shopping center at 3105 Duke St. (see map below) comes at a time of high tension between police officers and local communities across the country.

The incident Monday night "disappointed" the officer involved as well as Police Chief Earl Cook, Nosal said. "We have a good relationship with the business community in Alexandria," she said.

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"Here in Alexandria, we cherish our police officers and all public safety personnel," Mayor Allison Silberberg said in a statement. "They are outstanding, and we appreciate the incredible support these heroes receive from residents and businesses every day."

The police chief and representatives of the police union met with the restaurant manager Tuesday, Nosal said. The eatery now plans to display a sign stating that Noodles & Co. supports "blue lives." Cook met with an area manager for the company, who said the company planned to investigate the incident, Nosal said.

A call to a Noodles & Co. spokeswoman at the company headquarters in Colorado was not immediately returned Wednesday morning.

The company issued this updated statement Wednesday about the incident:

“Noodles & Company expects the highest ethical and personal behavior from its team members. We value each of our guests and are committed to treating every one with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination. Our guests rightly expect that we would not employ team members who do not uphold these core values. We are actively working with the local police department to investigate the claim that an officer was denied service at our Alexandria, Virginia restaurant so that we can take appropriate disciplinary action. If we are able to determine a team member acted in this manner, they will be terminated immediately. We are privileged to serve law enforcement officers who serve and protect us, often at risk to their own personal safety, and warmly welcome them to any of our locations.”

A deputy chief of police plans to meet with members of the entire Noodles & Co. staff to talk with them about their relationships with police in the community, Nosal said.

Photo: Noodles & Co. photo courtesy of company