Papa John's Apologizes For Racial Slur On Pizza Delivered To Teen

Papa John's has officially apologized after an uncomfortable situation with a customer in Denver. A 17-year-old black customer ordered pizza from Papa John's and was shocked to see a racial slur printed on the receipt in lieu of his name.He looked to a local black community activist for guidance, and the subsequent criticism led to Papa John's firing the employee and issuing an official apology.

"This action is inexcusable and doesn't reflect our company values," Peter Collins, senior director of the company's public relations branch, told The Denver Post. "After an internal investigation, we identified the cause of the issue and the employee is no longer a member of the Papa John's team.  We sincerely apologize for the insensitive behavior of this individual." Collins said the employee was also black and had claimed he knew the customer from school. The customer, who has remained anonymous, did not find the name funny.

The incident, which seems to have been solved, comes at a time when racial tensions are high following several shootings between police and black communities.