'Prayer discount' at N.C. restaurant garners mixed reactions

Mary’s Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, N.C. has generated public criticism and praise for offering a 15 percent discount for “praying in public.”

A customer named Jordan Smith snapped a photo of her restaurant receipt that has gone viral. On it, there was a line item that gave her a discount of 15 percent. According to NPR, Smith said her waitress said the discount was for her and her colleagues praying over their meal.

A co-owner said the discount is given to customers at the discretion of the wait staff. Reaction on social media has been mixed with some thanking the diner and others questioning the policy.

NPR said its attempts to reach the Department of Justice to answer questions about the legality of the discounts didn’t receive a response by press time. According to Lawyers.com, senior discounts are legal, but under the Civil Rights Act, it would be illegal for the restaurant to discriminate in its deployment of the prayer discount based on religion.

Read more from NPR.