Source: The Washington Post / Getty
ORANGE, OH (WOIO) –
A Bahama Breeze manager has been fired after the restaurant in Orange Village called police over a bill dispute with a group of mostly black women who said they were racially profiled.
Several people said they were accused of not paying their bills.
They said the accusations came before the bill even arrived, and they consider it racial profiling.
Darden Restaurants owns Bahama Breeze and the organization has released a statement about the incident:
We clearly fell short of delivering great service to our guests. The manager involved no longer works for us because they mistreated a guest, which is inconsistent with our values. We have spoken with several members of the party to personally apologize and invite them back in order to provide an exceptional Bahama Breeze experience.
“A good friend of ours is moving to L.A. to pursue her career,” said Mia Jones. Jones and other women are members of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. It’s a sorority of college-educated women dedicated to public services with an emphasis on programs that target the African American community.
Jones said she was very excited to meet up with friends to wish another friend well before she moves out of state.
“All of us are professionals. There were doctors, lawyers, a couple judges,” said Chante Spencer.
They had booked a patio at Bahama Breeze ahead of time to make sure the restaurant could handle the large group.
“I was about to leave and one of the managers approached me and asked me if I took care of my bill. I said I didn’t eat anything,” Spencer said.
According to Orange Police, they got a call saying about 40 people in a party got upset and threatened not to pay their bill.
People in the party say that’s not true.
“I didn’t notice the cops showed up. I was eating my empanadas when my friend Chante showed up. She said the police are here. I thought she was joking,” Jones said.
READ MORE: Cleveland19.com
Article Courtesy of WOIO Cleveland 19 News
First Picture Courtesy of Matt Dutile and Getty Images
Second Picture Courtesy of The Washington Post and Getty Images
