Man pulls out gun to demand free chicken and waffles after being refused service over lack of face mask

A Roscoe's customer denied service for not wearing a face mask reportedly pulled out a gun to demand free chicken and waffles.

Two men walked into a Pasadena branch of the popular fast food restaurant on Wednesday evening and were challenged by staff over one's failure to wear a mask.

The Los Angeles Times reported the police as saying that the maskless man then pulled out a handgun, saying words to the effect of: "What are you going to do about it?"

As several employees fled, the armed man then entered the kitchen, reportedly telling the cook: "Put the all chicken in the bag."

CCTV footage appeared to show the suspect taking the bag containing fried chicken, waffles and syrup and calmly exiting the empty restaurant – with police likely now studying the images of his unmasked face.

No money was reportedly taken in the robbery.

The man and his companion – who reportedly did not say a word to staff throughout the armed encounter – both remained at large hours later.

Some people took the lengths the suspect was willing to go to for chicken as a ringing endorsement for Roscoe's.

But others were left baffled.

The encounter was clearly traumatic for those involved, with cook Robert Gonzalez telling ABC7: "I almost got shot over stupidity."

But some staff members reportedly saw some humour in the situation.

"That was really scary. Especially for my cashier," said store manager Angela Prieto. "She was very very scared and afraid. When I first talked to her, she was basically hysterical.

"But after a while she calmed down, and she started laughing about it because [she] realised all he did was take some chicken."

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