Cafe in the Boston area issues apology after denying service and calling 911 on black journalist due to ‘mistaken identity’ incident

Café in Massachusetts Addresses Incident with Journalist

A café in Massachusetts has issued an apology following an incident where a respected black journalist was denied service, which led to a call to 911 due to “mistaken identity.”

This unusual situation took place at Café Nero in Cambridge on Thursday around 5 PM. Veteran journalist Philip Martin, who recently retired from GBH, arrived to meet another journalist, Naomi Cooker.

Cooker had ordered drinks and sat down, but when Mr. Martin tried to place an order, he was unexpectedly informed that the staff had been told not to serve him. Surprised, he asked if there had been a mix-up, but the employee insisted it was indeed him and even mentioned she was recording the interaction.

After some back-and-forth discussing the unusual situation, both Martin and the worker opted to call 911.

The Cambridge Police arrived and spoke separately to Martin and the café staff. They ultimately figured out that it was a misunderstanding, allowing Martin to return for his meeting.

Expressing concern for the café’s reputation, Martin stated he wanted to ensure no one got thrown out due to a case of mistaken identity.

A spokesperson for Café Nero later explained in an email that the mix-up happened because Martin bore a resemblance to a previous customer involved in antisocial behavior—specifically, someone who had been removed from the café the week prior for mistreating staff and other inappropriate actions.

The spokesperson commented, “While it’s never acceptable to confuse one customer for another, this was a traumatic situation for the employee, which prompted her reaction.”

They also noted that everyone at Caffè Nero deeply regrets what happened to Mr. Martin, emphasizing such occurrences should not happen. The café has since provided training to its employees to prevent similar misunderstandings.

Martin eventually saw a photo of the individual he was mistaken for but found it perplexing—he pointed out that the individual was quite a bit younger and had a different appearance, making the confusion seem even more odd to him.

Following the incident, he filed complaints with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Cambridge Human Rights Commission, describing the humiliation he faced. However, he made it clear that he didn’t want anyone to be fired or for the café to face a boycott; he simply sought accountability for what transpired.