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

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

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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."

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Same problems down at "White Castle" and "Karla's Kountry Kitchen."

[stainlessbanner]

herewegoagain

[danneskjold]

yeah, but what about Tar Baby's Pancakes?

[expatguy]

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

[Lee'sGhost]

"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."

That's pretty cut and dried. If it's true the complaint is justified.

[B.O. Plenty]

This has got to be some kind of lawyer based scam. You cannot tell me that in this day and time there was some kind of consparicy to seat blacks at the back of the resturants?....after all the hell Denny's et al have gone thru....It would be my bet that Heidi Doerhoff, a lawyer representing customers in Arkansas is licking her chops....her ship has just arrived...

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

There was a brouhaha here in Richmond over a restaurant serving the Ghetto Burger. Funny thing, it was a black-owned restaurant! Supposed to be a killer burger - I really need to try one.

[danneskjold]

Did they sell "ho-cakes" as well? (hos gotta eat, too...)

[need_a_screen_name]

Here's Jesse!

[breakem]

Best name, Murder Burgers, right in the heart of the Peoples Republic of Davis CA.

[Congressman Billybob]

So says the New York Times, but you know how they will lie. My wife and I regularly go to Cracker Barrel Restaurants on our regular trips between North Carolina and Tennessee. (There seems to be an obscure law that requires a CB to be located at every fifth interstate exit. LOL.)

The restaurants are wildly successful, and have lines to get seated almost every evening, not just on weekends. We have NEVER seen anyone treated any different than any other customers. All get called to tables in the order in which they sign up. And all get served in the order that they sit down at tables.

It is possible that some blacks got testy because they did not get served quickly. But at dinnertime, NOBODY gets served quickly. These are not "fast-food" restuarants.

My wife and I, and our duaghter when she's along with us, deliberately time our visits at off-peak times. We can go in between 3 and 5 p.m., and get seated and served right away. It's just a matter of paying attention to the customer flow in these restaurants.

Oh, and we have one other criterion. We make NO attempt to get into a CB in Tennessee after UT has played a home football game. Instead, we drive back to NC and have our meal about 8 p.m.

Given that CB settled with the federal government for a printed notice, and NO fine, as a lawyer that suggests to me that the evidence was very weak, so CB settled on a no-fine basis. Also, the feds would have insisted on some kind of fine, unless they, too, thought the evidence was weak.

Were it an honest newspaper, the Times would have also recognized that the evidence was weak. I'm not holding my breath on that.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Honesty Problems with Kerry and Gorelick: Pin the Truth on the Democrat."

[billbears]

We had a Sambo's here in North Carolina. Remember that place well. Like an earlier version of Denny's

[nathanbedford]

What EXACTLY does the civil rights act say about this sort of behavior?

[MacDorcha]

excllent points. i was looking for the tellsigns, but you seem to have routed them.

[MacDorcha]

isnt this sort of thing why Po' Folks started calling itself "Folks" instead?

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

As an Old Cracker I admit to receiving preferential treatment whenever I visit the local Cracker Barrel, but then I would, I own the franchise. And, as long as you're relatively clean and are wearing sufficient clothing (including shoes), I don't care if you're from Mars. Just bring your wallet.

[usadave]

"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."

I know some people who have worked in restaurants and they've told me that blacks have a reputation for being lousy tippers. So one reason that blacks may be receiving less than good service from the wait staff in a restaurant might be a bias due to the fact that the wait staff feels that they won't be fairly compensated for the good service they've provided to the black patrons.

[SedVictaCatoni]

It says this:

Civil Rights Act of 1964 - PL 88-352 - 88th Congress

Title II -- Injunctive Relief Against Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation

SEC. 201. (a) All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.

(b) Each of the following establishments which serves the public is a place of public accommodation within the meaning of this title if its operations affect commerce, or if discrimination or segregation by it is supported by State action:
...
(2) any restaurant, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda fountain, or other facility principally engaged in selling food for consumption on the premises...


This is codified at 42 USC 2000(a).

[Labyrinthos]

This has got to be some kind of lawyer based scam. You cannot tell me that in this day and time there was some kind of consparicy to seat blacks at the back of the resturants?....after all the hell Denny's et al have gone thru....It would be my bet that Heidi Doerhoff, a lawyer representing customers in Arkansas is licking her chops....her ship has just arrived...

This is not a private lawsuit, but rather, a lawsuit commenced by the Feds. Based upon my experience, I will bet you that the lawsuit is based upon the first hand observations of Federal investigators, who posed as customers, as well a interviews with and sworn statements from current and former employees. I'm also confident that the Feds would not have commenced the lawsuit because of a few isolated incidents. And why did Cracker Barrel settle so quickly? Don't be surprised if the Feds have recordings of the discrimination. I also wouldn't be surprised if CB has internal documents showing that high level management was aware of the discrimination, but did little to stop the problem (and may have evern encouraged the practice) -- documents that CB would have to turn over to the Feds if the case had not been settled.

[Redbob]

This is just a witch-hunt because of Cracker Barrel's refusal to hire faggots.

There was nothing the queers could do about it several years ago, but they've no doubt been plotting their revenge ever since.