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A restaurant in Baltimore is coming under fire after denying entry to a Black child after allowing in a White child wearing similar clothing.
Ouzo Bay in Baltimore has been in the spotlight for its strict dress code before, but in the wake of racial protests around the world, incidents like this one take on a new light.
People are calling out the restaurant for racial bias.
FYI, the name of this restaurant is called Ouzo Bay. It's in Baltimore and *gasp* it's part of a racist pattern https://t.co/n7Ln3HAiSc https://t.co/j36tUnbFmg
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 23, 2020
Racial bias is a form of implicit bias.
Implicit bias means despite good intentions and often without conscious awareness, racial stereotypes and assumptions affect a person's actions. In video shared by Marcia Grant, the boy's mother, a White manager denies restaurant entry to the young boy, Dallas, because of his athletic pants, sneakers and tee-shirt.
Meanwhile, a White child wearing almost the same outfit has been seated.
Grant says in the video:
"They're telling me that my son can't eat here because there's no athletic wear? He's nine. And there's kids out there with tennis shoes on."
On Twitter, the company that owns Ouzo Bay, Atlas Restaurant Group, issued a statement saying the manager in the video had been placed on "indefinite leave."
Today, we learned of an incredibly disturbing incident that occurred at one of our restaurants in Baltimore, Ouzo Bay. We sincerely apologize to Marcia Grant, her son & everyone impacted by this painful incident. This situation does not represent who or what Atlas stands for. pic.twitter.com/jsofGRLVw1
— Atlas Restaurant Group (@AtlasBaltimore) June 23, 2020
The Atlas Group's statement commented that "while dress codes across Atlas properties are the result of ongoing input from customers, in no way are they intended to be discriminatory."
But other Atlas owned establishments have been called out for discriminatory policies in the past.
I don't know why anyone would want to eat at Ouzo Bay anyway. The Atlas restaurants are just bad even discounting the obvious racism. Instead of Ouzo Bay go to Ikaros. Instead of Tagliata go to Aldo's or Sabatino's. Instead of Loch Bar go to Urban Oyster or Thames St.
— Timothy Sutton (@tsutton94) June 23, 2020
At its restaurant Choptank, many felt in September of 2019 that certain clothing policies were discriminatory towards Black and Latino individuals.
This is Atlas Restaurant Group — which owns the restaurant “Ouzo Bay".
Atlas — is also owned by Sinclair media. Because of course they are... https://t.co/K6Bcuxr2aC
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) June 23, 2020
The Atlas Group responded by removing a line from their store policies that managers could "enforce [dress code] policies within [their] discretion."
Ouzo Bay try comment on my cousin post after she put them out there for not letting her & her son eat because of how he was dressed & a white kid same age was dressed the same outside eating... smh...Talkin bout they going revise the dress code for children under 12 FOH...
— The Real P Diddy (@Moi_Diddy) June 22, 2020
Following this most recent incident, Atlas says it will not be enforcing its dress code for anyone under the age of twelve at any of their restaurants.
This manager at Ouzo Bay, Baltimore refused to allow Marcia Grant & her son to dine there cuz her son was wearing an Air Jordan shirt & athletic shorts while black even though a white boy wearing an athletic shirt & athletic shorts just ate there.#BlackLivesMatter@smdftbAGAIN pic.twitter.com/E197lIML6z
— dσxxεd Ъuт หσт σuт 🌊🌊 (@twmentality1) June 23, 2020
A restaurant OUZO BEACH in Baltimore Inner Harbor racially profiles a young black kid, saying he isn't dressed to their standards to eat. Meanwhile a kid that is.... privileged is able was on athletic wear and was able to dine.
2020 and OUR people still can't eat where we want. pic.twitter.com/8KyaSdwUTi
— Tyree A. Winslow (@MyRealEstate95) June 23, 2020
Many online called for a boycott of the restaurant and all others owned by the Atlas Restaurant Group.
Boycott all Atlas group restaurants. It's not just Ouzo Bay. https://t.co/PowPFpQeMf
— rabia O'chaudry (@rabiasquared) June 23, 2020
Atlas Restaurant Group owns all of these in Baltimore! Ouzo Bay, Azumi, Loch Bar, Tagliata, The Elk Room, Bygone, Italian Disco, Ouzo Beach, The Choptank, Maximón, Atlas Farms! They don't want us there! Stop supporting them!
— Ivan (@imitch__) June 23, 2020
Dress codes only apply to some of us — apparently.
This is ridiculously heartbreaking... pic.twitter.com/93fhnNPPe3
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) June 23, 2020
It's time to de-normalize discrimination wherever it's found in our society, call it out and eliminate it.