BBQ Joint to Offer Discounts for 'White Appreciation Day' — but the Owners Aren’t White

White patrons who visit Rubbin Buttz BBQ in Milliken, Colorado, on June 11 will receive a 10 percent discount on their orders as part of “White Appreciation Day.”

While they realize the move might anger some people, the Hispanic owners, Edgar Antillon and Miguel Jimenez, are standing by their decision.

"White Appreciation Day! June 11th. Because All Americans Should Be Celebrated," the sign posted outside the restaurant reads.

Screengrab via KUSA-TV

"We have a whole month for Black History Month; we have a whole month for Hispanic heritage month, so we thought the least we could do was offer one day to appreciate white Americans,” Antillon told KUSA-TV.

The restaurant is already experiencing some backlash.

Civil rights activist Ricardo Romero called the discount a “perpetuation of racism,” while a spokeswoman with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies said the decision could result in lawsuits if customers “felt like they were being discriminated against.”

Edgar Antillon (Screengrab via KUSA-TV)

But Antillon, whose parents came to America from Mexico, defended the planned “White Appreciation Day,” saying it’s meant to bring Americans together and help start an honest conversation about race.

"We're all American, whether you came from a different country or you were born here,” he added.

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