NJ restaurant’s sign said it was hiring ‘males only’ — here’s why

BLOOMFIELD — A casual food spot was left fending off social media heat for a hand-written note that offered part-time employment -- with the qualifying line "males only."

The owner of NY Gyro King said the job requirements include "heavy lifting" and that the line was being taken the wrong way.

"We don’t care if it’s a man or woman, girl or boy. If you can do the job you got the job," Israr Ahmad said in a written exchange with New Jersey 101.5 News.

The note taped to the business storefront along Bloomfield Avenue was shared on a public group on Facebook, Citizens of Bloomfield, and was quickly met with questions about the motivation behind the sign. Some critics slammed the message, while a few comments suggested not rushing to judgment.

Ahmad said the business has been looking for a replacement staffer in the kitchen on weekday mornings, where the work involves a good deal of manual labor with boxes of ingredients.

The 26-year-old said even he has back problems from the rigorous demands of keeping supplies in stock and making food to order.

He said his business tries to train people who will "stay for a while" since it wants to keep customers happy with solid service, and added "whoever qualifies will get a chance" regardless of gender.

In the Facebook group, users traded links to labor laws, trying to determine if a "males only" policy would be legal. Some made assumptions about religious considerations for separating sexes the business might be trying to accommodate. Ahmad hadn't participated in the Facebook back-and-forth.

The NY Gyro King has been in business in Bloomfield for three years. Ahmad said he and his brothers used to have other locations in New York, but sold them and have "started fresh" in NJ.

Ahmad said he took down the note Monday morning, shortly after it sparked the group discussion on Facebook.

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