Denny's apologizes after group of black customers refused service

The Hill ^ | 08/13/18 | Avery Anapol

[yesthatjallen]

A Florida Denny’s has apologized after a group of black customers were turned away at the restaurant.

Elijah Henderson Jr. told News4Jax that he visited the Lake City Denny’s with a group of about 25 members from his church, and was immediately told by an employee that they would not be able to accommodate them.

Henderson said that there were plenty of other groups in the restaurant, and that he thought his group was being discriminated against.

"Is it the color of my skin? That's where I left it at. Is that a problem? Because everybody else was eating and drinking, and she was, like, 'I am not going to be able to accommodate you all,’” he told the station.

Henderson said that the employee claimed there was only one cashier and one cook working at the time. The employee no longer works at the Denny’s, according to News4Jax.

"There was another family that came in right after me, she was, like, 'You guys go ahead and have a seat. I will be with you momentarily,’” he said.

“They are wrong for how they treated us," he added. "Point blank, I don't care what you look like, or where you come from, I just want equality."

Denny’s corporate office said in a statement that the incident was “unacceptable.”

"We were shocked by the unacceptable experience our guests received recently at our Lake City, Florida, location, and sincerely apologize,” the statement said. “We simply do not tolerate discrimination of any kind in our restaurants."

Henderson also said that Denny’s chief operating officer called him to personally apologize.

"He was like, 'Well, I work with a diversity department.' I was like, 'Well, you guys have to do a little more work because it's not working,’” Henderson said. “’What you're doing may be working at corporate, but when it drizzles down and comes to the franchisees, it is not working.’”

[Maverick68]

I will say this: Unless you’ve actually worked in a Bar/Restaurant, you have NO idea how hard and incredibly stressful it can be.

[Rebelbase]

“One cook and one server trying to feed a group of 25, plus whoever else comes in, would take HOURS.”

With today’s work ethic, probably. But not 40ish years ago. See #16 above.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Let’s be fair and point out that this was a Waffle House and not a Denny’s. Waffle Houses are streamlined for extreme throughput. Menus are small with snappy nicknames for popular things. The counter and kitchen are co-located, and all peripheral tables are in view of the kitchen and also a 5 second walk from the kitchen. There is something to be said for rising to a business opportunity (”work ethic”), but also for ergonomic planning in the first place.

[frank ballenger]

on sambo

---

To another person here I posted my apology for misstating. Sambo was in South India. I honestly think I never looked at the book since probably 1951 or 1952 I think. An ABEbooks used book popup ad showed it a lot recently although I never searched for it. Funny.

I remember a lot more about watching the televised national conventions in 1952.

[Fiji Hill]

Here's a politically correct audio disc version of Sambo. When I first heard it, I noticed right away that they got the story wrong--I liked the original a lot better. It was even referred to in an article in Human Events in 1960 that deplored the intrusion of political correctness into our culture.

I didn't hear the record again until Youtube came along 60 years later.

Little Brave Sambo--Roy Freeman (Cricket Records, 1953)

[T-Bone Texan]

It’s all about the Gibs, and no, they won’t be tipping.

We already knew that.