Philadelphia Diner Apologizes After Customer Says Belongings Were Trashed

Kumbah Sarnor says she and her 5-year-old daughter returned from a brief restroom trip at Silk City to find their table cleared. Their belongings included Sarnor’s jacket, wallet and car keys, along with three stuffed animals belonging to her daughter.

Sarnor said the server retrieved the items from the trash, where they had been soiled with food. Nearby customers told her the server had used the child’s toys to wipe the table, she said. The check had not yet been paid, and Sarnor said the pair had been away for only a few minutes.

Sarnor said the diner gave her paper bags for the dirty items and comped the meal. She said she later had to discard the jacket and toys, while her wallet retained a food smell after cleaning. She also said the general manager emailed an apology after the diner issued a public statement.

Silk City said the employee involved was no longer employed there and called the incident unacceptable, apologizing to those affected. Sarnor said the response placed too much responsibility on the server and that management had also handled the situation poorly.

The incident drew online debate about whether diners should leave belongings at a table during a restroom visit. Sarnor, who is Black, said she believes race and gender played a role in how she was treated. The diner’s statement said it wanted to address the matter responsibly.