Backlash over Beleza Food House owner’s alleged xenophobic rant

A Gold Coast restaurant operator is in hot water over alleged “personal attacks” on Brazilians, labelling them the “worst customers”.

CONTROVERSY: A Gold Coast restaurateur has been slammed for his alleged “personal attacks” on Brazilians

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A Gold Coast restaurant operator has been slammed for alleged “personal attacks” on Brazilians, labelling them the “worst customers”.

Screenshots of the exchange were shared to a Gold Coast Brazilians Facebook group, with a group member labelling the tirade as “xenophobia” and “personal attacks”.

“(People) made a post asking about the Beleza restaurant and the owner decided to comment,” the person who shared the screenshots wrote in a post.

“It was a show of xenophobia, personal attacks and lack of self-criticism.

“Some people commented negative feedback and the owner couldn’t handle it.”

The screenshots show comments purporting to be from Beleza Food House owner Ben Hines’ Facebook account.

A comment on Facebook purporting to be from Ben Hines.

It is understood the restaurant closed late last year.

“If drugs were sold at Beleza it wouldn’t be shut from bankruptcy would it, with all the Brazilians that love drugs,” one comment purporting to be from Ben Hines read.

“It would have to be open 24/7 to keep up with demand.”

While another comment read: “Brazilians are the worst customers.”

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Mr Hines continued his alleged rant, making more accusations about people who hail from the South American country.

“ … I realise Brazillian (sic) really do not like each other, they just use each other to get to the next level (then) they are disposable,” another comment purporting to be from Mr Hines read.

“How much money did you send to Brazil during the pandemic to feed poor people that your Brazilian government abandoned.”

The Bulletin contacted Beleza Food House via its Facebook page for comment.

The former Burleigh Heads restaurant responded to the request, saying: “What are you talking about? Australians love drugs just as much if not more. Are you doing a story on that?”

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It is not the first time the restaurant owner has allegedly blasted his customers online.

Last year, Mr Hines called out a disgruntled customer who complained about “microwave food” with a “disgusting taste” in a review on the business Facebook page.

“You hated it that much you took a week to write a complaint,” Mr Hines wrote in a comment responding to the poor review.

“So it stayed on your mind that long that you decided after a week (to) get on the internet and complain about something that if you read all the menus and signs you would know it is pre-made food because of a little thing called the pandemic.”