Olive Garden Employees Suspended After Serving Comedian Ricky Smith

Comedian Ricky Smith was not treated like family at an Ohio Olive Garden when he popped in for dinner with his friends ... and we've learned the employees who he claims served him "casual racism" have been suspended.

Smith tells TMZ ... his crew had just finished handing out lunches for his organization, RAKE, on Tuesday and they worked up an appetite for endless soup and breadsticks. Smith claims they were small talking with their waitress when she just casually told them she doesn't like waiting on black people.

Turns out, the waitress was a black woman.

The comedian tells us he politely went to the manager and requested a new waitress after this, but was given 2 options -- keep your waitress or leave. When they refused, cops were called and Ricky says police politely escorted them out.

An Olive Garden spokesperson tells us the waitress and manager have been placed on leave while they investigate. Olive Garden reached out to Smith to apologize and invite him back.