James Perry got an unexpected welcome as he walked into Krossroads Rock and Country Bar.
A Colin Kaepernick jersey was taped to the Virginia bar’s entrance floor, substituting for a welcome mat. Perry’s daughter had unknowingly stepped all over it.
The 49ers quarterback has been in the limelight for his decision to take a knee during the U.S. national anthem in protest over the deaths of black men shot by police.
Perry, a frequent customer, snapped a picture of the not-so-welcoming decor and posted it on Facebook. “I kept looking around and asking myself ‘are they for real?'” Perry added.
In his post, he wrote that “this is a racist act.”
The post went viral with thousands of shares — and the Virginia Beach bar’s Facebook page was deluged with responses from patrons and others. Perry took some criticism. Some responded by saying “his kind” didn’t have to go there, he said.
Debate spreads to Yelp
The controversy spread to the business rating app Yelp, where some users voiced supporting views and others called for a boycott of the establishment.
“This restaurant’s food is great. Love the atmosphere, especially the new addition to the door mat,” one Yelp user wrote.
“I cannot see my self spending money at this restaurant ever. If you cant respect me or my people than I can’t spend my hard earned money here,” another user wrote.
CNN contacted the bar for comment but a bartender deferred speaking until a later time.
A general manager contacted by CNN affiliate WTKR said that taping down the jersey was about sportsmanship and patriotism, not race.