By Police1 Staff

LEWISVILLE, Texas — Two officers were refused service by a hamburger chain employee, FOX 4 reported.

Officers Michael Magovern and Cameron Beckham were off-duty and working security at a construction site when they decided to eat at Whataburger, they told the news site.

But before the officers could order, an employee behind the counter told them, “We don’t serve police officers.”

The officers reportedly thought the employee was joking, but when the employee didn’t say anything else, the officers left and ate elsewhere.

“You know, 17 years as a firefighter and now 13 years as a police officer this is the first time this has ever happened to me,” Magovern said to FOX 4.

Whataburger apologized in a Sept. 15 statement and said the employee had been terminated for his actions.

Officer Magovern told the publication he still likes Whataburger and believes the problem is with the one location or the single employee. Beckham is having a hard time trusting the company in the wake of the incident.

“It really strikes a nerve personally and professionally because maybe he's joking or maybe he's not, but how do we trust that individual or that company to cook anyone's food now," Beckham told the publication.