Brick, NJ restaurant defends worker with autism against customers’ rudeness

BRICK — The owner of the Windward Tavern went to bat for his manager and another employee after two women were rude to him.

“Ryan is one of the most dedicated employees I have ever had the privilege of working with,” he wrote. “Your comments and treatment of Ryan, his mother (another great employee), and my other servers that day is unacceptable. PLEASE do not come back to The Windward," owner Mort Nase wrote on the restaurant's Facebook page.

Nase told New Jersey 101.5 that he didn't write the post to promote the restaurant in Brick or himself but to show support for Ryan, 21, who is on the autism spectrum.

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"People such as Ryan are very regimented and these two women who came in sat down near the bar. I guess they wanted to relax a while and Ryan came by to grab their menus because he thought they were done," Nase said. "The server tried to explain that they weren't being rushed and that Ryan is Ryan and he's a little bit on the spectrum."

Nase said the women told the server that perhaps Ryan shouldn't work in a restaurant. Ryan's mother stopped at the table to speak with the women and apologized on behalf of Ryan.

"The woman's reply was 'am I supposed to feel bad now because your son is autistic,'" Nase said.

'I would have thrown them out'

Nase said he was not in the restaurant when the incident took place.

"I have their names and I have their pictures but I would never stoop that low to post it," Nase said. "Had I been here I would have personally thrown them out."

He never expected the incident to get the attention it did with nearly 4,000 views of the post and over 500 comments. Nase said he showed Ryan the comments, most of which were supportive of him.

"All Ryan could concentrate on was that two women didn't like him and that just shows you how sweet and sincere the kid is," Nase said.

Nase had nothing but praise for Ryan who came to work at the restaurant during the pandemic when some of his school programs were shut down.

"Ryan is such a great man on the door. I'm able to run out and go to the bank and do things. He's 110% trustworthy. He's a real asset to our company," Nase said.