A manager at an Ohio Bahama Breeze has been fired for racial profiling. On June 19, the manager called police saying that about 40 guests — members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority — were “worked up about the bill” and did not want to pay.
According to reports, the manager called the police to make sure the group paid their bill. The manager also claimed some members of the crowd party profanity and was disrespectful to staff.
Chante Spencer, one of the patrons who were in attendance, believes the group were racially profiled and falsely accused of not wanting to pay due to their race. Spencer also says that four people in attendance were asked to produce a receipt before they could leave the restaurant.
Darden Concepts, the company that owns Bahama Breeze, released the following statement in regards to the incident:
“We clearly fell short of delivering great service, and we’ve invited the guests back in order to provide an exceptional Bahama Breeze experience.”
According to USA Today, this is not the first time that Bahama Breeze has been accused of racial harassment.
Back in 2009, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a settlement involving 37 black workers, who claimed, their managers at Bahama Breeze repeatedly used racial slurs and denied them breaks.
As a result of the lawsuit, the company was forced to pay more than a million dollars and was ordered to provide anti-discrimination and diversity training to staff.
Bahama Breeze is a Caribbean-themed chain restaurant that is owned by the Darden company, who also owns Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse restaurants.
https://twitter.com/BahamaBreeze/status/1009870272797790213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wkyc.com%2Farticle%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fcuyahoga-county%2Fcustomers-allege-racial-harassment-at-bahama-breeze-restaurant-in-orange-village%2F95-566003008
