Hermanos Burgers backpedals after mocking courier who asked to use toilet

Update 5.30pm with reaction from Burger King, KFC and McDonald's

Burger restaurant chain Hermanos has pledged to "treat drivers with respect" one day after it publicly mocked a food courier who complained that he was not allowed to use one of their bathrooms. 

The restaurant had initially published a post saying that its employees ended up cleaning a "Chernobyl" whenever food couriers were given access to restaurant bathrooms.  

Chernobyl was the site of a massive nuclear power plant disaster in Ukraine in the 1980s.  

“Breaking news: A rider wasn’t allowed to use the toilet at Hermanos!” the restaurant posted in response to a courier's public complaint. 

Calling the courier a "part-time drama queen", the restaurant said bathrooms are only for paying customers, as they were “tired of scrubbing what looks like a horror movie scene.”

The now deleted Hermanos post. Photo: Facebook

“Want to use the toilet? Get a drink. Eat like a king. Then you earn the throne," the restaurant chain added. 

The post featured an AI-generated cartoon of a shocked courier looking at a man with a speech bubble that reads ‘No! Restroom is for customers only”. The image includes a hand holding a sign reading ‘Boycott Hermanos’.

The courier in question had raised the issue in a post on Facebook group Expats Malta, saying a manager at a Hermanos Burger venue denied him access to the bathroom. 

The AI-generated image which Hermanos posted on their now-deleted post. Photo: Facebook

“What are we? We are also a medium between the restaurant and the customer. For example, if a customer comes to pick up their order, can they use the bathroom? What about us?” the courier asked. 

He alleged that other food chains, such as McDonald's, Burger King and KFC, have also denied couriers from using the bathroom.

The original post that sparked the social media storm.

'Treat drivers with respect. Always'

One day later, Hermanos issued a new post with a considerably different tone. 

Drivers had helped make the burger chain a success, it acknowledged, and they deserved to be treated with respect. 

"Yes,  I know- sometimes the toilets are left in a bad condition. It's frustrating, it's not OK, and it's something we need to address. But it doesn't justify a loss of empathy. We can be firm without being arrogant. We can lead without disrespect," the restaurant wrote. 

Hermanos Burgers' new statement on Monday morning.

When a Facebook user asked the restaurant if food couriers would be allowed to use Hermanos bathrooms, the restaurant replied "definitely".

Monday morning's post was signed by 'CEO - Vince', a reference to Hermanos Burgers owner Vincenzo Rapisarda.  

Should couriers use private restaurant bathrooms or not?

With over 190 comments, the original post on Expats Malta was flooded with mixed reactions.

Many called to boycott the burger joint, slamming the decision to deny a rider access to the bathroom as not just disrespectful but also disgraceful. 

“Would have told him to keep food warm while I go find a public toilet, say about 30 minutes and tell him if customers complain, it’s up to you to tell them why,” one person commented.

Hermanos has said it will allow couriers to use their bathrooms.

“They should be ashamed (…) Courier drivers are customers too, and if the management of Hermanos do not see this, they should not be in business,” another wrote.

“It doesn’t matter whether the person is a courier or a direct customer. A little compassion goes a long way,” another comment read.

 Yet not all comments were in favour of the courier.

“Like many other establishments that no longer allow couriers to use the restrooms, Hermanos used to allow this. But at some point, they get tired of cleaning up faeces and piss puddles left by couriers,” another commented.

“Same as many establishments won't allow you in the door until an order is marked ready. They got sick of couriers being rude and disruptive. This isn't something that has happened in a vacuum. It's the fact that too many of our colleagues seem to forget that we are supposed to act like adult humans.”

Another said it’s easy to jump on the “basic human rights” bandwagon, but we must also look at the other side of the story.

“Restaurants have no obligation to provide toilet facilities to anyone other than paying customers. Of course, they could, should they choose, grant access to their private facilities to anyone they want. But it's their business, their choice,” the person commented. 

“If, after some time, they find that basic hygiene standards are not being met by anyone, they can fall back on the restricted access they have a right to demand. Some poor soul is paid to clean those toilets, and if restricting it to only paying customers reduces their workload by 60% then that's good.”

Times of Malta also contacted McDonald's Malta, Burger King and KFC to ask them for their policy on allowing couriers to use their facilities.

'Insensitive' 

Gordon Naudi, general manager of Food Chain, which manage Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut said the concept of denying anyone access to the toilet was "insensitive". 

He said all couriers are allowed to use their facilities.

"We have no issues at all. Anyone who wants to use these public restrooms can do so," he said. "Some of the toilets have an access code but couriers can just ask at the counter and will be provided with one." 

A spokesperson for McDonald's Malta said new or recently refurbished restaurants feature dedicated areas for drivers where space allows, with water and charging points available to provide a comfortable experience while they wait.   

"Restrooms that are not access-controlled are open to everyone, including couriers," they said. "Where access control is in place, entry is managed via a receipt code system to maintain our high standards of cleanliness and security."