Popeyes addresses firing of pregnant employeePopeyes addresses firing of pregnant employee

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. officials moved swiftly Wednesday to rectify the firing of a Texas restaurant worker after an armed robber took off with about $400 in cash.

Video of the robbery, which was captured by security cameras, went viral following a report by Houston television station KHOU.

After being forced at gunpoint to open the register during the busy night of March 31, shift manager Marissa Holcomb said she was asked by the franchise operator to reimburse the money. Holcomb, who is pregnant and a mother of three, said she declined and was subsequently fired.

According to KHOU, the franchise operator was Z&H Foods Inc. A spokesman for the company said Holcomb was fired for leaving too much money in the register, in violation of company policy. It was not her first offense.

The spokesman also told KHOU that the franchise operator did not know about any request for reimbursement.

After learning of the reports earlier in the day, Popeyes CEO Cheryl Bachelder said the company had contacted the franchise operator, and that the situation would be rectified.

“We are pleased that our franchisee has addressed this matter and sincerely hope this employee will rejoin the team soon,” Bachelder said.

In a statement late Wednesday, Z&H Foods principal Amin Dhanani said the company had apologized to Holcomb and invited her back to work.

“As a franchisee of the Popeyes system, our organization strives to provide the best possible work experience for our employees. We clearly did not do that in this case and we have apologized to the employee personally,” Dhanani said in the statement.

“Among other things, we will compensate her for the lost time from work and have invited her to rejoin our company,” he added. “We deeply regret the way this matter was handled. We are committed to continuing to work with Ms. Holcomb, and we apologize to her, our employees, the public and other franchise operators of the Popeyes system. We have let them down and are committed to do better.”

The story received national coverage in publications including the Huffington Post, the New York Daily News and USA Today. The incident also fueled a wave of outrage on social media channels.

Some on Twitter called for a boycott of Popeyes.

Once the news broke that Holcomb would be offered her job back, fans responded positively.

Security experts said policies regarding cash in the till have been commonplace in the industry for decades.

Chris McGoey, a Los Angeles-based consultant with McGoey Security Consulting, said such policies are crucial for safety.

If word gets out on that a restaurant keeps large amounts of cash in the register, that location will likely be repeatedly targeted by thieves, putting other workers at risk.

Typically, policies require workers to move cash into a drop safe on a regular basis, or “as often as necessary,” McGoey said, which generally is based on cash amount rather than timing.

Since most workers can’t open the safe, thieves target the cash in the register.

Some chains prohibit workers from keeping even a $20 bill in the register, McGoey said.

“To say you’re too busy is not an excuse,” he said. “It’s a dangerous practice and you have to send a message.”

Atlanta-based Popeyes had 2,379 mostly franchised units in the U.S., 26 foreign countries and three territories as of Dec. 28, 2014.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout