Ayokunle Oluwalana, the man who says he was fired from the Bondi location of XS Espresso for being black, says he has accepted the apology of the cafe’s owners, but would rather not work in hospitality again for a while.
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos called for the young barista to be reinstated at his job. Speaking to The Sun Herald about his story, though, he said that: “I would prefer to give hospitality a break at this present moment. I’ll take some time out to chill.”
Oluwalana, originally from London, took to Instagram on Friday to say that he lost his job at the location after being told by a manager that the locals are “a bit racist.”
The story blew up, and yesterday, he took to Instagram to give an update on his situation and thank his supporters and those who shared the story.
In his statement, he said: “I do believe XS Espresso are sorry and after speaking to staff, I do believe the Bondi location was simply a bad apple.” He said he hopes the incident will be an opportunity for teaching and change.
He said that he has spoken to the owner of the company and that the manager of the Bondi location has been “reprimanded” for his actions.
He added that he is not angry, but is “pleased and proud” of the response to his firing, which has given him some “faith in the world in these troubled times.” You can see his statement below, via Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBmWMdJnHUp/
