People online are criticizing the Mandarin Restaurants chain after it announced an offer of free buffet meals on Canada Day, but only to people who can prove they are Canadian citizens.

In a , the buffet chain account wrote that 鈥渢o celebrate, on July 1st, we're offering Canadian citizens a FREE buffet Meal. Proof of Canadian citizenship is required.鈥�

According to a flyer on their , the only thing patrons will need to show in order to pig out for free is either a Canadian passport, Canadian citizenship card or a Canadian birth certificate.

It鈥檚 unclear if people without these pieces of identification will need to wait in a separate line to pay to dine, or if there will be bouncers at the door to kick out non-Canadians.

Based on the promotion, people with student or working visas, as well as permanent residents will be turned away from Mandarin鈥檚 free smorgasbord.

The proof requirement appears to rubbing plenty of people the wrong way.

People sounded off online saying patrons being asked for their papers is un-Canadian. One person , 鈥減roof of citizenship is gross and against what Canada stands for. Be better.鈥�

Another woman , 鈥淭hanks for letting me know that I'm not welcome in your restaurant tho.鈥� She added, 鈥渨hat an excellent way to lose temporary and permanent resident clients! I like to skip lines, so I wouldn't celebrate my Canada Day on Mandarin anyways.鈥�

One person that the Mandarin ad 鈥渟hould have said 鈥橳hank You Canadian Citizens.鈥欌�� Another person , 鈥淚 am an international student and shame on your requirements, I will never come back to you even after get citizenship.鈥�

鈥淚 don't think I could come up with a more profoundly un-Canadian way of celebrating Canada,鈥� another person online .

Other people -- likely Canadian citizens -- were less critical of Mandarin鈥檚 offer. One person , "I personally don't have a problem with that at all. I'm a proud Canadian and will be more then happy to show my proof. I

CTVNews.ca has reached out to Mandarin for comment.