Key Points
- A cafe received a one-star review because the barista, who lives with Tourette Syndrome, was experiencing tics.
- In a show of support, the southwest Sydney cafe posted the review online to raise awareness about the disability.
Barista Vari Desho was puzzled when two customers abruptly cancelled their coffee orders and walked out of the cafe he works at in southwest Sydney last Saturday.
Some hours later, Nuriyah Cafe received a scathing one-star review on Google.
While the customer said they were "greeted with warmth", they felt unsettled because of Mr Desho's "bark".
Mr Desho, 33, lives with Tourette Syndrome, a neurological disorder that results in him making involuntary movements or noises [referred to as tics].
"Unfortunately the front-of-house team member had a physical condition which we initially dismissed. It causes him to "bark" and as we said, we thought it would pass especially as when he took our order it stopped completely," the person wrote on Google.
"Unfortunately it then got much worse and much louder and more constant. We felt sooo bad and really wanted to stay but when it got so bad we couldn't even have a conversation we very reluctantly had to cancel our order and leave."
The person added the tics "got much worse and much louder and more constant", leaving them with no choice but to walk out.
We're just here to make a living and put a smile on everyone's face.Vari Desho
Mr Desho, who has been a barista for eight years, told SBS News he was upset - not over comments made about his condition - but rather how a negative review could impact the business.
"They didn't eat, they didn't have coffee, they didn't even have a glass of water ... so, why would you give a one-star review? That's what I got more upset about than the barking thing," he said.
"We're just here to make a living and put a smile on everyone's face."
Around one in 100 children live with Tourette Syndrome in Australia and the severity of tics can vary among each person.
'Everyone should have a chance to work'
Nuriyah Cafe owner Adam Kaakati said he got "fired up" after hearing comments made about Mr Desho, who he described as one of his best workers and treats him like a brother.
"They had the nerve to come in, leave a one-star review because Vari had a disability, which wasn't fair, it wasn't right," Mr Kaakati said.
Fed up after receiving more negative feedback from a different customer on Monday about Mr Desho, Mr Kaakati publicised the one-star review on social media in a bid to raise awareness about Tourette Syndrome.
"We're trying to make sure everyone's aware of this, that we are standing by this no matter what and if customers are not happy, they don't have to walk through our doors," he said.
"Everyone should have a chance to work."
'We're all speechless'
Since posting the review, Nuriyah Cafe has received an enormous show of support from the community, with hundreds of people sharing their love for the cafe's stance on inclusion in the workplace.
In an ironic turn of events, the one-star review led to patrons travelling to visit the cafe despite the negativity that Mr Desho was subjected to.
"I honestly came in this morning after reading the post you [Nuriyah Cafe] made yesterday because of how much it broke my heart ... Your food and service never fail to deliver! And huge thank you to our friend here for making me the beautiful cup of coffee," one patron shared online.
"He [Mr Desho] is a wonderful man with a warm heart. My family and I went for a beautiful lunch and we had a wonderful time. It was so pleasant and everything was divine," another wrote.
Mr Kaakati said he was shocked to see the amount of love his team has received for defending Mr Desho.
"I've got people messaging every second, telling me how much they support our business, how they never knew about us and now they're definitely going to come.
"It was beautiful, the amount of support we have gotten ... honestly, I'm speechless, we're all speechless."
President of Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia, Mandy Maysey, has praised the cafe for standing up for their employee, who "has every right to employment and to be treated with respect and consideration".
"It breaks my heart that people could be so intolerant and ignorant to just how hard daily life can be for people with disabilities. I wish it was rare but it isn't. People with TS (Tourette Syndrome) are constantly shushed, and censored, day in and day out," she said.
"People with TS are hard-working, intelligent people. We don’t live in the dark ages where we hide people with disabilities away."
While Mr Desho said the few negative comments he has received don't bother him, it was a good opportunity to raise awareness about employing people with disability.
"We're doing this just to raise awareness, not just about Tourette's, but everything else. It's not just about me or Adam, what the business is doing," he said.
"Just give everyone a go, give everyone a chance, just because you've got a condition, it doesn't mean you can't do your job one hundred per cent."
