"What an excellent way to lose temporary and permanent resident clients!"

Mandarin Restaurant has come under fire for demanding citizenship documents for its free Canada Day buffet

Narcity reports that Chinese restaurant ‘Mandarin’ has been criticised for asking for citizenship documents for its free Canada Day buffet.

Mandarin Restaurants announced that it would be offering its buffet for free on 1 July to celebrate Canada Day, but only for certain Canadian citizens.

In its promotion, the Canadian restaurant chain wrote “buffet meals are free with one of the following proof(s) of citizenship: Canadian birth certificate, Canadian passport or Canadian citizenship card.”



The offer thus excludes temporary and permanent residents as well asl those without Canadian citizenship.

On social media, some called the restaurant out for being discriminatory.

“Just citizens? What about the rest who pay taxes, work minimum wage and have sacrificed everything to live in this wonderful country? Shouldn’t they also enjoy?” One person tweeted.

“It’s discriminatory. “Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship […]” Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 1.” Tweeted another.

“What about permanent residents?!? 😭😭😭 we live here too!” One disgruntled resident asked.

“What an excellent way to lose temporary and permanent resident clients! I like to skip lines, so I wouldn’t celebrate my Canada Day on Mandarin anyways. Thanks for letting me know that I’m not welcome in your restaurant tho. @eatmandarin” said another.

This is the fifth year the Canadian Chinese restaurant chain has been running the promotion.