The Castillo group included five-year-old Milo, who has Down syndrome. But neither Milo’s mom Kim nor Garcia could have imagined why the other family moved.
Garcia recalled, “I didn’t think much of it until I heard him say, ‘Special needs children need to be special somewhere else.'”
After hearing that, Garcia just reacted.
“It was very disturbing,” he said. “My personal feelings just took over and I told this man, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t serve you.'”
That family quickly left.
But it wasn’t until later in the evening that the Castillo family found out that their waiter had had the courage to stand up for their son.
Kim Castillo said, “What went through my mind was that I was just so impressed and felt so good that somebody would stand up for another human being.”
Garcia said, “It upset me because he’s a five-year-old little boy. He’s an angel. He’s precious!”
Since then support for the restaurant and Garcia has poured in, both from the Internet and from regular customers.
Another customer Bill Baker said, “I think he did the right thing, there’s the door.”
And most of all, he earned the thanks of a very grateful Castillo family.
Kim said, “He’s good in our book!”
Garcia says if the other customers return, he will serve them just like anyone else.
As for the Castillo family? They plan to remain loyal customers.
