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.
Exactly. We eat in Cracker Barrels all over the country and have for years, especially in the south where we live. I have yet to see one iota of evidence for these claims. We are often seated alongside black patrons, and we are always seated after black patrons who were ahead of us are seated, all of which is of course as it should be. The last time we ate breakfast at a Cracker Barrel, which was in south GA, we were served by a black waitress and paid our check to a black cashier. In every CB where we have been black and white employees appeared to be working together amicably without any sign of racial discord.
Of course this is just anecdotal evidence, and it is entirely possible that at some time and somewhere in the large CB chain someone has been discriminated against. But IMHO it is far more likely that a few lawyers are taking a break from chasing ambulances and decided to drag out the old racial discrimination gig that worked so well for the Denny's plaintiffs and play it for a few million more bucks.