Posted on 10/17/2006 5:15:23 PM PDT by Livin_large
Rose Rock, the mother of comedian Chris Rock, claims she was racially discriminated against when she was seated but ignored for more than a half hour at a Cracker Barrel restaurant along the South Carolina coast. Rock said Tuesday she planned to sue the Lebanon, Tenn.-based company. A Cracker Barrel spokeswoman said the restaurant chain was investigating and taking the complaint "very seriously."
Cracker Barrel has in the past faced numerous lawsuits and a federal inquiry over complaints of refusing to serve black customers, discriminating against minority workers and firing gay employees. The company has taken steps to rebuild its folksy image and reach out to minorities.
Rock, who is from Georgetown, said she and her 21-year-old daughter were the only blacks at the chain's Murrells Inlet restaurant in April. She said when she asked the manager about the delay she was told they could have a free meal.
"He never called over the waitresses and asked, `Why did these people sit here for an hour without service?'" she said. "The only thing he said was we could have a free meal and neither of us wanted to eat."
Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis said the company doesn't "tolerate any form of discrimination."
"It has always been a violation of our policies and procedures and it is neither condoned nor allowed," she said. "We do not allow the type of behavior you are describing," Davis said.
Rock said she contacted the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission and was told her complaint would be handled, but "nothing ever happened."
The head of the commission, Jesse Washington, said Tuesday that after initial discussions, the complaint was finalized Aug. 7 and his agency also was investigating. He would not comment on the complaint.
"We get thousands of charges coming through here in the course of a year," he said. "It's not out of line _ the time frame on this. It is being investigated and we will be in touch with her when we have a report."
The Rev. Al Sharpton will join Rock on Wednesday in South Carolina to announce that Sharpton's Action Network will finance the planned lawsuit.
"I'm getting reports from all over the country about Cracker Barrel," Sharpton said from New York on Tuesday.
He also said state officials are slow to act on such complaints.
"When people are talking about there is no more discrimination, a lot of it is because they are not following this stuff up," Sharpton said.
Cracker Barrel, established in 1969, operates 547 restaurants in 41 states, according to the company's Web site.
Georgetown is about 60 miles northeast of Charleston.
She needs to sit down and shut up. I got the same level of service last time I was in a Cracker Barrel, too. Does that mean they are discriminating against white men, too?
LOL!
ROFL. That is one funny post.
Stewart's Ferry or Mt. Juliet? They both have slow service, though Stewart's Ferry is the worst.
I'm thinking he meant you aren't afraid to say what's on your mind. Honestly I thought the same thing. It's a compliment :^)
pretty funny....
Well, I hope so..............see, I am the same out THERE as I am HERE.........do I get points for being consistent?
:-)
Speaking of have you seen the new version of that ad with the Planet of the apes guy dressed in his casual active wear in the Airport and he stops to look a the caveman ad then shakes his head in disgust as he walks away? Too funny.
I love the Geico cavemen!
"We waited for over an hour for a waitress to take our order at a Cracker Barrel off of I-40 near Nashville. Then after another 1/2 hour our food still had not arrived so we just got up and left. Stupid to have spent so much time before finally getting fed up."
Heck, the defense should call you as a witness to the slow service!
I too find the food at CB pretty good, especially by interstate restaurant standards. There is usually a wait and the parking lots are nearly full all of the time so most people must agree. All of the other restaurants and fast food joints I have tried off of I-95 are terrible. They are usually very dirty with nasty food and rude or inattentive workers.
I second that what is a "special people" menu, I am guessing senior, child or diet.
See what I mean...
'Twas only kidding.
I'm thinking she meant a "special" meal for "special" people who like to sue Denny's. Have you ever been to a website called Bitter Waitress? You don't want to know what they do for "special" customers. In their case it means bad tippers.
Should have pointed out that your response was appropriate given the circumstances...
You have to admit their "yeah right treat us like neandathrals as you humans always do" attitude or parody on racist evolutionaries is very refreshing.
"Cracker Barrel"
Need she say any more? Whitey strikes again.
Yep. That was my point entirely. It's not like I haven't been on the receiving end, eh?
When I lived in Florida there was a show on cable called "Spic-O-Rama". For real.
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