Dress-code restaurant fires two managers for refusing to serve black boy with his mom because of his casual dress while serving white boy in similar outfit - as Michael Strahan invites the nine-year-old to dinner
Two managers have been fired from an upmarket eatery after viral video showed employees at the establishment refusing entry to a black boy because he was wearing casual clothing.
Nine-year-old Dallas Greene made national news Tuesday after he was turned away from the swanky Ouzo Bay restaurant in Baltimore, despite the fact a white child was seen dining there in a near-identical outfit.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Atlas Restaurant Group - which owns Ouzo Bay - said they 'launched an assertive internal investigation' which concluded with the termination of two of the restaurant's managers.
'They have been separated from and are no longer with the organization. To reiterate, there is a level of sensitivity, discretion, and customer service we expect from our managers and all who represent the Atlas brand,' the company stated.
Two managers from Ouzo Bay in Baltimore have been fired after they refused to allow nine-year-old Dallas Greene and his mom Marci Grant (pictured) into the restaurant due to the boy's casual clothes. It came despite the fact a white child was seen inside the eatery dressed similarly
Ouzo Bay in Baltimore is pictured. Two managers have been fired from the swanky restaurant following an 'extensive' investigation'
The Wednesday statement followed an initial apology from the Atlas Restaurant Group over the incident on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Dallas and his mom, Marcia Grant, appeared on Good Morning America to talk about the incident, which occurred at Ouzo Bay over the weekend.
At one point, Marcia appeared overwhelmed as she reminisced on the incident, fighting back tears as she stated: 'I kept on insisting that the white kid has on the same thing that Dallas has on, so why won't you let us in? He [the employee] just would not, regardless of how hard I pushed'.
Good Morning America host Michael Strahan then spoke to Dallas about a photograph shared on social media Wednesday morning, in which the youngster posed with a police officer who had invited him to his home for dinner in the wake of the viral video.
'You were recognized on the street the other day, you want to tell us about that?' Strahan asked.
'It was a Baltimore City Police cop who said he was sorry for the stuff at the restaurant and he said I can come over to his house anytime for dinner... it made me feel really good,' Dallas explained.
'If you're in New York you can come to my house anytime you want. I can't cook - food's not very good, but you can come over and eat with me man!' Strahan then stated.
'We're going to take you up on that offer!' Marcia chimed in.
Dallas received a dinner invitation from a Baltimore cop after he was turned away from an upmarket eatery because of his casual clothing
Good Morning America host Michael Strahan then invited Dallas over to his New York City apartment for a meal
Meanwhile, the clip even made its way to Hollywood, where it attracted the attention of Gabrielle Union, who was left outraged.
'Rules, laws, dress codes, voting, education, jobs, housing and on and on and on... and folks swear its all in our minds,' she wrote on Twitter, referring to the experiences faced by black Americans.
Union has herself been in the headlines for alleging there was racism on the set of her show, America's Got Talent.
Union's Twitter was inundated with responses of other black Americans, who relayed instances of racism to which they had been subjected.
One Twitter user noted that Ouzo Bay has now changed its dress code in light of the video.
The viral video made its way to Hollywood, where it attracted the attention of Gabrielle Union, who was left outraged
The America's Got Talent host has herself been in the headlines after alleged there was racism on the set of the top-rated reality show
On Monday, Marcia took Facebook to share footage of her son Dallas, being turned away from Ouzo Bay, despite the fact a white boy was seen dining at the establishment in a similarly casual ensemble.
The video posted by Marcia shows her son wearing athletic shorts, sneakers and an Air Jordan T-shirt as they stand at the front of the restaurant trying to enter.
'They're telling me my kid can't eat here because he's wearing athletic wear, but there's kids out there with tennis shoes on,' Marcia can be seen telling a restaurant employee who is wearing thick-rimmed glasses.
'Unfortunately that's my boss,' the employee replies, before Marcia demands to speak with the manager.
Marcia Grant took to Facebook Monday to share footage showing her nine-year-old son, Dallas, turned away from upscale Ouzo Bay, despite the fact a white boy was seen dining at the establishment in a similarly casual ensemble.
However, the manager refuses to come to the front desk, leaving the employee to again tell Grant that she and her son are unable to enter the eatery.
'Unfortunately we do have a dress code, if you have some non-athletic shorts,' he states.
'But that white kid out there [on the patio] can eat here with his tennis shoes on and his athletic shirt?' Marcia replies before panning the camera to the white child who is wearing a similar outfit.
The video showed a restaurant employee (left) informing Grant and her son, Dallas, that they were unable to dine in the restaurant. Dallas is seen at right in his Air Jordan t-shirt
The white child can be seen on the patio in a black graphic t-shirt. Grant added a heart emoji over his face in order to protect his identity when she uploaded the video to Facebook
'We allow tennis shoes, but not athletic shirts or shorts,' the manager replies.
'You're telling me that's not an athletic shirt?' Marcia asks, referring to the white boy's garment, which looks similar to her son's.
'The t-shirt that that kid was wearing, we don't consider that to be an athletic t-shirt,' the employee states, before he later admits that he didn't get a good glimpse of the garment.
He also tells Marcia that he 'understands she is upset', to which she responds: 'I don't want you to sympathize with me, I just want you to tell me why it's different for my son'.
The employee fails to give a satisfying response, and the exchange ends when he says he needs to tend to other guests.
Nine-year-old Dallas is pictured in a social media snap shared by his mom, Marcia Grant
Dress-code restaurant fires two managers for refusing to serve black boy with his mom because of his casual dress while serving white boy in similar outfit - as Michael Strahan invites the nine-year-old to dinner
![Dress-code restaurant fires two managers for refusing to serve black boy with his mom because of his casual dress while serving white boy in similar outfit - as Michael Strahan invites the nine-year-old to dinner]()
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June 25, 2020
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