Ikea Atlanta Juneteenth menu changed after blowback over plans to serve fried chicken, watermelon

Retailer Ikea is under fire after one of its stores reportedly sent out a lunch menu for a Juneteenth celebration that is said to have featured certain dishes that perpetuate racial stereotypes.

An Atlanta Ikea store sent a letter to employees last week to inform them of the celebration, which allegedly included a note about a "special menu" including items like fried chicken, watermelon and other foods with ties to racism, as reported by local CBS affiliate. 

The meal was intended as an internal celebration for store workers, not for customers.

WHY THAT SOFA YOU ORDERED ISN’T SHOWING UP SOON

A spokesperson for Ikea told FOX Business that to honor the day, which has been celebrated at the Ikea Atlanta store for the past four years, a lunch menu was created with the "best of intentions," including recommendations from Black coworkers.

"We value our co-workers’ voices and changed the menu after receiving feedback that the foods that were selected are not reflective of the deeply meaningful traditional foods historically served as part of Juneteenth celebrations," a spokesperson for the company said. "We got it wrong and we sincerely apologize. We are committed to educating ourselves and putting a process in place that will allow us to thoughtfully honor Juneteenth in the future."

CBS46 reported that the updated menu included corn bread, mashed potatoes and meatloaf.

The spokesperson also noted that about 20 coworkers called out.

Juneteenth was offered as one of Ikea’s paid holidays nationally.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

As previously reported by Fox News, President Biden signed a law last week declaring Juneteenth, which fell on last Saturday, a federal holiday.

Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, which was when the last slaves in the U.S. learned they were free following the Civil War. Federal troops arrived in Texas on the date to ensure that slaves were given their freedom.