Customer refused to eat near a 5-yr-old with Down syndrome–then waiter's response left everyone 'impressed'

A family dinner at a Houston restaurant took an unexpected turn when a waiter refused to serve a customer who was reluctant about sitting next to a little boy with Down syndrome. It was not just the seating request but a rude comment made by the customer that did not sit well with the waiter. This simple yet profound act made the waiter, Michael Garcia, a local hero. Five-year-old Milo Castillo was out for dinner with his mom Kim Castillo at Laurenzo’s Prime Rib, one of their regular spots. Milo, who has a slight speech delay, was happily chatting about his recent birthday celebration and showing off the new words he had learned when another family sitting nearby suddenly asked to be moved. Garcia, who had been serving tables, didn’t think much of it at first—until he heard what one of the men from the family said. He told Fox 29 LC, "I heard them say, ‘Special needs children need to be special somewhere else,'"

The words hit him hard. He didn’t hesitate. "It was very disturbing. My personal feelings took over, and I told the man, 'I’m not going to be able to serve you, Sir,'" Garcia recalled. The family left, but Kim was stunned when she later found out what had happened. "I was impressed that somebody would step out of their own comfort level and put their job on the line as well as to stand up for somebody else," she said, as per TODAY. She further said, "I know Michael did it from his heart, and from reacting to the situation. I don’t think he stopped and thought about what he was doing."

It turned out that the man and his family were also regular customers. "It's sad that they're ignorant," Kim said. She had been taking Milo to restaurants since he was born and never had a problem. She wrote in a now-deleted online post, "Was he loud? Maybe a little in the moment, but honestly, the adults at our table were three times louder than he was. If he had been obnoxious, which like any other 5-year-old he can be, I wouldn’t have thought twice about the family asking to move." Kim said that no one had ever said something so cruel openly about her son before, but she had seen the way people looked at him. "It’s just ignorance. Kids aren’t going to catch anything from him," she said. 

The kid's mom also said she had seen children and adults stare at him or take "second and third glances" and had witnessed parents pull their kids away from Milo on the playground. Garcia, who had worked at the restaurant for two years, already had a special bond with Milo. "Normally, when they arrive, I pick him up at the door and carry him to the table," he said. After word got out about what happened, customers started coming in just to thank him. Candace Roberts, another server at Laurenzo’s, said, "The business has just been huge. People are coming in to shake his hand and eat at our restaurant and loving it." 

Kim hoped that what Garcia did would make people think twice before saying something hurtful. She remarked, "It’s just impressive to see the outpouring of love and support. I hope this encourages people to stand up for other people who can’t stand up for themselves and that it’s worth taking the risk." And maybe, she added, next time, someone will hold their tongue before making a comment like that.