Patrons act over segregated dining (“Cracker” Barrel gave whites better seating and service!)

The New York Times via SMH ^ | May 5, 2004

[dead]

Washington: The country-wide Cracker Barrel restaurant chain has agreed to overhaul its training and management practices after the US Justice Department accused it of discriminating against black diners at about 50 restaurants.

A civil rights investigation found that black diners at Cracker Barrel restaurants in seven southern states were routinely given tables apart from whites, seated after white customers who arrived later, and given inferior service, the department said.

Managers allowed white servers to refuse to wait on black patrons, and blacks were given less favourable treatment than whites when they complained about service, investigators found. Interviews with dozens of employees suggested that managers "often directed, participated in, or condoned the discriminatory behaviour", the department said.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, a Tennessee-based chain that has 497 locations throughout the US and is known for its country-style cooking and folksy retail stores, denied the allegations contained in the lawsuit.

But the company agreed to several wide-ranging steps aimed at combating discrimination against blacks.

The agreement "moves Cracker Barrel forward in a direction we were already moving", a company spokeswoman said. She said that while Cracker Barrel did not believe the accusations were true, it had agreed to the six-point plan to avoid protracted litigation.

About 100 blacks are pressing discrimination claims and seeking damages from the chain in four lawsuits. One black diner said that when he complained that whites were getting better treatment, he was told he should go to a Burger King down the street.

"It's shocking that something like this still happens 40 years after the passage of civil rights legislation," said Heidi Doerhoff, a lawyer representing customers in Arkansas. "It harkens back to the back-of-the-bus treatment of African Americans."

[savedbygrace]

I have a totally different opinion. CB hasn't been worth a hoot, IMO, for a very long time. I haven't gotten a decent meal in a CB in years. Or decent service.

[Darnright]

>My personal experience with those church groups was that tipping was NOT something they felt they had to do. It was very common to make $1.00 (or nothing) off a party of 12 who occupied your entire section for an hour. If servers (of any color) refused to wait on blacks, I'd bet it was because of perceived tip concerns based on experience.<

Cracker Barrel needs to assess a 15% gratuity on large parties, like other restaurants do. There is no excuse in not protecting its wait staff from boors.

[gitmo]

No, I honestly don't get the reference.

I have no clue.

[gitmo]

Any idea which states had the offending CB stores?

[CMOTB]

I think maybe whites should be offended and complain. After all, they are calling it the "Cracker" barrel. Isn't Cracker a slang word for white folk?

But seriously, I've been there many times and find it hard to believe that this was intentional disrespect toward their customers. At least I don't like to think that this type of thing has been happening.

[GadareneDemoniac]

Ding, ding, ding... I think we have a winner here, folks! You nailed it!

[savedbygrace]

Yessir. The only way I could possibly be saved is by the Grace of God.

[freedumb2003]

I think they became "Denny's"

[ScoochDude]

Don't stop at the CB in Christiansburg, VA.
It's chock full of tail gunners, prolly 20% of the waitstaff.

[jimfree]

There used to be a restaurant years ago here in Houston called Sambo's

The Sambo's chain was a casualty of changing sensibilities regarding race and reserved racial words.

I worked for a time (a few months in the mid 70s) as a weekend night cook at the Sambo's in Meridian, Mississippi. The assistant manager I worked for most was a black gent. I also remember our having an enormous black clientele. (The food was decent and decently priced.) Sad how those things work. That assistant manager may have later become a manager only to lose his position with the company - all to please Jesse Jackson and the NAACP. I take heart that he was a smart guy and would easily have landed on his feet in any of a number of pursuits.

[happylady1979]

I work at the Cracker Barrel in OKC and I have worked at The Barrel for 1 1/2 years. I have been a hostess, cashier, and worked the retail store. I have always done by best to give everyone the best service I can. The Barrel has managers, staff, and guests of every age, race, gender, and sexual orientation. If any of this did happen, it is a terrible shame, but I have never been witness to or heard of anything like this till now. I think it is ridiculous to accuse an entire company of such a thing, for the alleged actions of a few people. I know those of us who work there have better things to do than plot against ethnic groups. Thank you for your time.

[scan58]

There were a few Sambo's in Oklahoma City, where I lived. IIRC, they all became Denny's.

[wtc911]

Color coding applications has been going on for decades. A little red chack in any corner does it.

My oldest is in grad school in liberal SoCal. He tells stories of outright racism (grafitti on dorm room doors variety) that he has seen personally. Racism continues strong in America.