The company, which is headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee, just east of Nashville, said it condemned his “statements of hate and divisiveness.”
Grayson Fritts, the pastor who doubles as a county police detective, had planned an event at a Cracker Barrel in Cleveland, Tennessee, for his congregation, the All Scripture Baptist Church, on June 29.
In an official statement on Twitter, Cracker Barrel denied any affiliation with Fritts or the church and said it wouldn’t allow the Tennessee store to hold the event.
“We take pride in serving as a home away from home for all guests and in showing our communities and our country that the hospitality we practice is open for everyone,” the company said.
It cited its “zero-tolerance” policy for discrimination and a corporate rule that prohibits protests of any kind on its property, and said, “We serve everyone who walks through our doors with genuine hospitality, not hate, and require all guests to do the same.”
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office, where Fritts is a detective, says they are reviewing all pending cases he has worked on and any complaints about closed cases.
Fritts did not immediately respond to a request for comment left with his church.
Source : CNN