Tuscaloosa Restaurant Manager Admits to Using Slur, Apologizes; Customer in Viral Video Speaks

The manager of a famous Tuscaloosa restaurant made an apology Wednesday evening after admitting to using a racist slur about a group of Black customers this weekend.

As the Thread first reported, Nick's Original Filet House, which is better known locally by its unofficial name, Nick's in the Sticks, has been under social media siege since Friday night, when a now-viral video was posted showing a customer, Hunter Sartain, confronting manager Jack Moltz.

The 75-or-so-year-old restaurant was launched by the late Nick Delgado, who sold the place to Lloyd Hegenbarth in the 80's. Hegenbarth died in 2014, and his widow Carla has owned it for the last decade and now runs Nick's with her husband and co-manager Jack Moltz - the man who on Wednesday admitted to describing Black customers who were at Nicks to celebrate at 22nd birthday as "n*****s.".

The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and Tuscaloosa's WVUA 23 earned the interview and shared it Wednesday.

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"On Friday July 26th, I made a statement to a white customer of the restaurant referring to African American customers who were present as the N-word. There is no place for any person to use the N-word, there is no excuse or justification that can be made for my characterization nor the hurt it has caused," Moltz told the TV station.

"I accept all the condemnation and criticism which I have evoked, all of which is justified towards me. I sincerely apologize to the African Americans who were present at the restaurant that night and specifically apologize to the young man who was having his 22nd birthday. I apologize to the employees of the restaurant and I sincerely apologize to the African American people."

Moltz said he would aim to apologize on the phone and, if allowed, in person to all who were at the restaurant Friday night. He also apologized to the Tuscaloosa Police Department, who were called to the scene Friday after his use of the word.

"I will live with the shame and hope that some day I can be forgiven. My conduct is not representative of Nicks in the Sticks practice or policies. In this day of social media, I would ask that the attention being given in this situation be focused on me, not on my friends and family."

Sartain, who told the Thread he didn't know he had even been filmed until Saturday morning, did not want to be interviewed by countless outlets and instead issued a statement on social media Wednesday after reflecting on the situation for a few days.