Waitress orders stack of pancakes for homeless man and gets fired: 'Would do it again'

lakeland - A waitress in the US was fired after buying a homeless man a stack of pancakes, but says she would do it again without hesitation.

The man walked into the establishment and said he was hungry. 'Without thinking, I bought a stack of pancakes and gave him a glass of water,' Hughes said this week after her dismissal to the local WFLA. 'He told me he was upset because it could attract loiterers and compromise customer safety.'

Her manager delivered the news over the phone on Tuesday. It was just 'company policy,' she was told. Hughes expressed no remorse, saying she would do the same thing again if given another chance, even though she now finds herself without a job right before the holidays. 'I would still help someone if I can. If he had asked me for my shirt, I would probably have tried to give it to him too.'

Interestingly, after her interview with WFLA, she received another call. IHOP's headquarters apologized and offered her job back, along with compensation for the missed workdays.

'We strive to provide an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome,' said Sunshine Restaurant Partners in a statement. The company plans to train employees who encounter 'food insecurity' and will make a donation to local charities in Lakeland.