Lawsuit Alleges Restaurant is Racist

[deerayfan072]

BRANDON — Four people are suing Barnacles restaurant, claiming they are victims of racial discrimination.

The incident began with what Kenny Jones, of Carrollwood, described as a pleasant mid December evening at the sports-themed restaurant — at least until shortly after they ordered.

Jones, 46, said he and his former wife, Elizabeth Remis, 45, came to the Providence Road restaurant with another couple.

Remis is white. Jones and the other couple, Adonis and Julie Benton, are black. Halfway through their meal, the restaurant manager — who is white — demanded ID or a credit card in case they left without paying, a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tampa alleges.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/research/article781660.ece

Surprise surprise, they didn't mention that the server was black. If this was the most embarrassing thing in your life, you are living a nice life. I served for years and when people ditched on me I had to pay for it. Sometimes I had it happen by the same people a couple times, but my boss would not let me do something like this, instead I had to try and keep a constant eye, but lost track because I was busy and ended up paying for there meals.

[knapplc]

It doesn't matter what color the server was, the manager is the one who asked for the credit card up front. The decision-maker's race/color is the most important in that scenario, not the server per se.

The restaurant is going to have to show that they ask for everyone's card like that or they're going to have a tough time winning that case. Disparate Treatment cases aren't difficult.

[deerayfan072]

It doesn't matter what color the server was, the manager is the one who asked for the credit card up front. The decision-maker's race/color is the most important in that scenario, not the server per se.

The restaurant is going to have to show that they ask for everyone's card like that or they're going to have a tough time winning that case. Disparate Treatment cases aren't difficult.

Sorry, forgot to mention that the Manager went to the table on the request of the server, because he felt they were going to dine and dash on him. That was the point of the server part.

[scottaa1]

It doesn't matter what color the server was, the manager is the one who asked for the credit card up front. The decision-maker's race/color is the most important in that scenario, not the server per se.

The article made it sound like the server asked them for it, and when they balked, the manager intervened.

[deerayfan072]

It doesn't matter what color the server was, the manager is the one who asked for the credit card up front. The decision-maker's race/color is the most important in that scenario, not the server per se.

The article made it sound like the server asked them for it, and when they balked, the manager intervened.

yea, thats what happened. Clarified in my second post

[knapplc]

OK, even if the Black server asked the Black patrons for the card, that's not a defense. Same-race discrimination exists.

The key here is going to be the reason they asked THESE PEOPLE for their card. Was it because they had dined and dashed before? Was it because they ask everyone to do this? Or was it because other Black people had skipped out on bills in the past, and they were going to take care of a perceived "problem" before it became a problem?

That's the question.

[scottaa1]

I wasn't making any comment regarding race, I was just pointing out that your statement about the manager being the first to ask seemed incorrect.

As for the rest, we weren't there, so who's to say what. The article didn't contain enough information for anything beyond speculation.

[bagobonez]

Doesn't the presence of a white person negate the allegation that it was "racism"?

[Metroid]

Doesn't the presence of a white person negate the allegation that it was "racism"?

I would think so, I imagine they asked for a credit card from the table which was comprised of both blacks and whites.

Again we don't know the whole story though.

[moonhead]

they probably skipped out before. they had it coming to them.