Baltimore restaurant apologizes after a black woman and her son, nine, are REFUSED service because of his casual clothes - despite a white boy dining there in a SIMILAR outfit
A Baltimore restaurant has issued an apology after video showed a black woman and her son being denied service because of the young boy's outfit.
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.
Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Ouzo Bay, said it was 'incredibly disturbed' by the incident and placed the manager seen in the video on 'indefinite leave'.
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.
The video posted by Grant 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,' Grant can be seen telling a restaurant employee who is wearing thick-rimmed glasses.
'Unfortunately that's my boss,' the employee replies, before Grant demands to speak with the manager.
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?' Grant 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?' Grant 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 Grant 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.
Upmarket Ouzo Bay in Baltimore has come under fire for refusing service to Marcia Grant and her young son
Nine-year-old Dallas is pictured in a social media snap shared by his mom, Marcia Grant
Grant shred a clip of the exchange beneath a status in which she wrote: 'I have faced racism time and time again, but it’s hard AF, when you have to see your child (9yo) upset because he knows he’s being treated different that a white child!!!' Grant wrote above her Facebook video.
Her clip quickly went viral, sparking outrage.
Atlas issued a statement late Monday, apologizing for the incident at Ouzo Bay, saying they were left 'sickened' by Grant's video.
'This should have never happened,' the company said.
'We sincerely apologize to Marcia Grant, her son & everyone impacted by this painful incident. This situation does not represent who or what Atlas stands for'.
They added that they were immediately changing their policy so that children aged 12 and under aren't subject to the dress code.
Atlas also said the dress code wasn't 'intended to be discriminatory.'
Atlas was previously under fire in September for their dress code when restaurant Choptank in Fells Point banned 'baggy clothing, sunglasses after dark and bandannas.'
Atlas issued a statement late Monday, apologizing for the incident at Ouzo Bay, saying they were left 'sickened' by Grant's video
Grant (pictured) was turned away by a manager at Ouzo Bay because her son was wearing an outfit which was deemed 'too casual'
Baltimore restaurant apologizes after a black woman and her son, nine, are REFUSED service because of his casual clothes - despite a white boy dining there in a SIMILAR outfit
![Baltimore restaurant apologizes after a black woman and her son, nine, are REFUSED service because of his casual clothes - despite a white boy dining there in a SIMILAR outfit]()
Reviewed by Your Destination
on
June 24, 2020
Rating:
No comments