A barista at a popular cafe has claimed he was sacked from his job because he is black.
Ayo Lana, who came to Australia from the UK, said he was working at the XS Espresso Cafe in Bondi, Sydney on Thursday when the manager told him he was fired.
In a video uploaded to his Instagram, Mr Lana claims the manager said the locals were ‘a bit racist’ and preferred to be served by the other barista ‘who’s a white guy.’
Mr Lana’s video went viral with hundreds showing their support for the sacked barista, prompting the cafe to apologise.
Ayo Lana (pictured), who came to Australia from the UK, said he was working at the XS Espresso Cafe in Bondi, Sydney on Thursday when the manager told him he was fired
Mr Lana said the manager pulled him to the side and initially claimed the cafe had received ‘complaints’ about his coffee before admitting it was really about his race.
‘I’m like oh that’s very surprising because I’ve only had good things… I’ve only got compliments about it,’ Mr Lana said in his video.
‘Then he goes, well you know how Bondi, the locals, they’re a bit racist.
‘So I’m like oh so then that’s the real reason.
‘He’s like yeah they like their coffee made by the people that are there already, by the barista that’s already there, who’s a white guy.
Mr Lana said that was ‘a bit of a shame,’ which the manager responded with the locals of Bondi ‘like their coffee a certain way.’
In a video uploaded to his Instagram, Mr Lana said the manager believed the locals were ‘a bit racist’ and said he had to be let go because they preferred to be served by someone ‘who’s a white guy’
Mr Lana said that was ‘a bit of a shame,’ which the manager responded with the locals of Bondi ‘like their coffee a certain way’
After Mr Lana released the video, he was contacted by the cafe who apologised for the incident.
The cafe said they will continue to be in discussion with him ‘regarding corrective action we will be taking.’
XS Espresso Cafe released a statement on their Facebook page which was accompanied by a picture with text that read: ‘As a brand, we stand in solidarity against systemic racism.’
‘We were deeply saddened to learn of an incident that took place at our Bondi location yesterday,’ the statement said.
‘When we were made aware of the incident, our foremost concern was towards the gentleman who had been mistreated by a manager at our Bondi location.
‘We are terribly remorseful for the treatment he received.’
After Mr Lana released the video, he was contacted by the cafe’s founder who apologised for the incident
XS Espresso Cafe released a statement on their Facebook page which was accompanied by a picture with text that read: ‘As a brand, we stand in solidarity against systemic racism’
The cafe said it was an ‘isolated incident’ and racist behaviour has never been welcomed at any of their establishments.
‘We in no way tolerate racism of any form and will do all in our power to ensure we learn from this incident and to never allow it to exist amongst our brand’s culture.’
They said the cafe will re-educate their staff on anti-discrimination and will revise their policies to ensure the discrimination would never happen again.
‘The individual who was involved will experience appropriate consequences and their fate at the company is yet to be determined,’ the company said.
‘We want to apologise for what occurred yesterday; To Ayo especially, to those who have experienced racism and to anyone who has messaged us with concerns.’
The cafe said they ‘hold ourselves accountable’ and are determined to create an inclusive and safe environment for all of their staff and customers.
‘The individual who was involved will experience appropriate consequences and their fate at the company is yet to be determined,’ the company said
Mr Lana posted on his Instagram after the company’s apology and thanked everyone who helped him share his story
Mr Lana thanked everyone who helped him share his story after the company apologised.
‘I wish I could be angry but for some reason, I can’t find that switch to be able to turn it on,’ he said.
He said he was ‘shocked’ to see how far his video had gone.
‘I’m moving on and I’m happy to put a pin in it, to move on and to not waste any more time on this situation,’ he said.
‘I am surprisingly not sad or angry, but more so pleased and proud of the response shown, that gives me faith in the world in these current times.’
Daily Mail Australia has made several attempts to contact XS Espresso Cafe in Bondi by phone and email but have yet to receive a response.