Domino’s Pizza has issued an apology following an incident in which a black mother in Birmingham received a pizza box marked with the initials “KKK,” a widely recognized abbreviation for the Ku Klux Klan, a racist white supremacist group.
Charmaine Porter, 42, from Monkspath, discovered the offensive label both on the order screen and the pizza box when collecting her order from the Selly Oak branch on March 19. She reported that staff members laughed when she pointed out the reference, which added to her distress. Charmaine was ordering food for her 14-year-old daughter at the time.
“I was angry, frustrated and embarrassed for my daughter to experience that. It was completely unacceptable,” Charmaine told BirminghamLive. She noted that other orders had proper names on the board, but hers was marked simply as “KKK.”
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Charmaine emphasized that she was not asked for a name or reference when placing the order and was initially unaware of the issue. It was her first visit to that store, and she has vowed never to return. She criticized the staff’s reaction, saying one employee laughed and claimed they were “trying to make me happy,” which only worsened the situation.
Domino’s responded with an official statement: “We apologise to the customer for how this situation was handled in our store. While this arose from a genuine error with no malicious intent, we recognise the situation would have been distressing. At Domino’s, we want every customer to have a positive experience in our stores.”
The company confirmed it is working closely with the franchise operating the Selly Oak branch to understand the incident and prevent future occurrences. The franchise has reached out to Charmaine to offer an apology and has issued a full refund for the order.