Black customers file $100 million civil rights lawsuit against Cracker Barrel restaurants

AP ^ | 12-13-01 | Christopher Newton

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Twenty-one people filed a $100 million federal lawsuit against Cracker Barrel restaurants Thursday, accusing the nationwide chain of widespread racism, from segregating black customers in the smoking section to denying them service.

It was the largest civil rights lawsuit against a restaurant chain since Denny's settled a $46 million discrimination lawsuit in 1994.

[jimt]

If I don't like the place I don't go back- it's that simple.

You and me both. You don't have to be black to get rude, poor quality service. For instance, the bubble-headed teenagers playing hostesses at Joe's Crab Shack on Hiway 59 in Houston have seen the last of me. Five girls, bubbling and giggling, so intent on each other that they paid no attention to customers, seated other customers ahead of my party even though I was there first.

Hey, can I sue?

[Phantom Lord]

hmmm. at olive garden there is up to an hour wait to get in where we live

Imagine the wait if they served quality food!

[Neets]

Unbelievable....the whole thing...just unbelievable.

[Phantom Lord]

I'm white, and I am offended by the name of this restaurant. I am filing a $100 million civil rights lawsuit against Cracker Barrel restaurants for having an offensive name. So there!

Your not the only one. Remember the restaurant chain Sambos? Guess what its called today.

[garyhope]

Sure, I know lots of businesses that like to turn down money from customers.

[southern rock]

Remember the restaurant chain Sambos? Guess what its called today.

Yeah, I remember hearing about that. Whats the new name?

[garyhope]

I used to live in NYC, I know what good Italian food is and it ain't The Olive Garden, one of the worst restaurants I've ever been in (my mother insisted, go ahead, say no to your mom!).

[Eternal_Bear]

just more PC gone insane. I'm suprised the whole PC crowd hasn't brought a 100 trillion dollar suit against America. I better not give them any ideas.

[Clemenza]

See my post 24. The use of the camera was down here in Miami.

[Clemenza]

I used to live in NYC, I know what good Italian food is and it ain't The Olive Garden, one of the worst restaurants I've ever been in (my mother insisted, go ahead, say no to your mom!).

This half-Italian American wants to sue the Olive Garden for 1. Its false portrayal of TRUE Italian cuisine and 2. Its false portrayal (in its commercials) of Italian-Americans ENJOYING its poor excuse for food.

BTW: There exists an Olive Garden in Times Square. The only people who eat there are tourists.

[LN2Campy]

"cracker" barrel

what did they EXPECT???

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

I think the black customers saw the sign out front that said "Cracker" Barrel and mistook it for a "whites only" sign.

[hattend]

I hope Cracker Barrel has video cameras in their restaurants. Otherwise, they lose.

Unless, of course, the suit is legit...then...they lose anyway, and rightfully so.

Still, it sounds a lot like a shakedown. Does anybody know if the law firm has done business with the Rainbow Coilition?

[Eagle Eye]

I assume most or all CBs are like the ones I went to and they are very rural-themed and old-timey and harken to a bygone, white world.

Rural and old-timey are exclusive to white worlds? Bet that if you ever do go to the South, you don't get off the interstate except to eat and get gas.

[Phantom Lord]

I'm suprised the whole PC crowd hasn't brought a 100 trillion dollar suit against America.

They are working on it. It's called reperations.

[FReepaholic]

>>...Why on earth would they have hungry children at 10:00 at night? What the hell is wrong with those people? Why don't they fee their kids at a reasonable time?...<<

I agree. I don't know about the one in Smyrna, but most Cracker Barrels I've seen are at major intersections on interstates. There are usually a ton of other fast food joints around at these locations.

[TopDog2]

And not only that, but why did she sit "watching" for 12 minutes when she had "hungry children?" Shouldn't her first priority have been to get her starving children some food. Looks like a set-up to me.

That said, there is enough real discrimination going on on a daily basis to keep lawyers busy for many years to come. Maybe they ought to stop crying wolf and go after those that really do discriminate. I, and I think most Freepers, would support that.

[chainsaw]

This is the way I read it.

Black customers file $100 million (easy money) extortion lawsuit against Cracker Barrel restaurants

[Malesherbes]

SocialMeltdown makes a good point. I'm white and I encounter stupid and rude people everywhere; that's life. The real racists are those who interpret every negative event in their lives as being directed at their race.