Thread: Segregated seating in a restaurant?

Heh I skip things like this by telling the waiter which table I want to be seated at. They usually aren't used to people telling them what to do in that specific case.

I don't deny that discrimination still goes on...but working in restaurants for years as both a hostess and a server, people seem to always think they're being slighted when it comes to seating for a variety of reasons. There a lot of things affecting where you sit besides what tables are empty, strict seating rules (which i have been shouted down by a manager for, when people wouldn't sit where I attempted to place them), reservations, the way the dining room is designed (some tables can't be broken up or put together to ensure optimal seating), and ROTATION (rotating tables so that servers get seated equally, so they can all make roughly the same amount AND some servers aren't overwhelmed while others are twiddling their thumbs), are some important reasons where you might not get seated where you want. I think usually it's silly to make a big deal where you sit, unless it's extraordinarily uncomfortable or you're seated next to unruly patrons.

Well, thankfully, Teresa and I have never really had this problem with seating yet (knock on wood). I do realize that seating sometimes is decided by servers and tables to evenly space out workloads, etc. I would expect that if I had a complaint regarding noise, etc. that management would see fit to re-locate us to a more desirable table without making stuff up or being rude or stand- offish. It ultimately has to be about good service and obviously, the restaurant in Richard's story had a real problem with service which is why the doors closed. As a manager, even if the patron was being a little over-sensitive or unreasonable (not your story Richard but just as an example), you have to handle the situation with grace and manners and not be confrontational. You also must do whatever you can to remedy the situation or at least be apologetic to the patron to give some sense of satisfaction. Word of mouth can make or break a business in no time.

As a hostess, I've had people INSIST on sitting in a certain section, even though I know the service that they'd get would be less than optimal since that server just got sat with 16 people. And they're sitting, looking around thinking, first that beeyotch in the front tried to sit us somewhere we didn't want to sit and now the server is being SLOW, not thinking there's probably a reason they were directed elsewhere.

I've never experienced that but you do get the looks. Once we went somewhere for dinner here in london( My man and I), got in there and all heads turned...and you could hear murmuring, some smiled. some people get so facinated you want to scream. The good thing is we mixed in. If we got our own section, I would have definately said something then leave the building, no doubt. I check availability of tables in some in london restraunts because am not sitting where am uncomfortable i.e near doors in winter, near a loo.

As a Canadian male I have grown up in a predominantley white society. I didn't know a single black person until highschool when one young lady joined our school of 1000+ white kids in the 10th grade. Laura was an angel and quickly became beloved by all. I never heard anyone say a bad thing and one that would have dared would have been quickly "sorted'. I dated her in grade 13 and we had a fun time. While my parents liked her, my mum told me "not to get serious" and left it at that. At the end of school we went our seperate ways and I never saw her again. Sadly, she died in her early twenties.

The only other black person I ever knew was a lady I worked with in my twenties. Not being around black people I never knew of any racial issues and despite my mother's "warning" I don't believe there was any racism in my family as I grew up.

I'm not naive about racism and clearly remember first hearing of it in the famous book, "Black Like Me" that I read in grade 9 but I don't ever remember seeing it. I have always believed we Canadians were a much more tolerant society. Imagine my shock when I first encountered it two years ago.

My friend and I ( I call her my bud) had been shopping for motorcycle gear in a well known store and she had bought quite a few hundred dollars worth. I wasn't paying a lot of attention as she was checking out but i did notice that when presenting her Visa card the male clerk demanded her drivers licence and wrote down her information. I didn't notice any other purchaser being asked for ID. It hit me as we walked to the car and I asked her about it. She told me, "it happens all the time when you're black". I was pissed and was ready to march right in and have words with the manager. She stopped me.

Not a half hour later we stopped in to a big chain "roadhouse' for some food. Waiting to be seated, the hostess ignored us in favour of some couples that came behind us and when we did get seated, she put us into a booth right by the door that was right in a draft from the main doors ( it was in November). When my "bud" asked to be seated elsewhere the hostess told her she would need to get the "permission" of the server and she didn't think there would be another table availabe for quite awhile. So more or less take it or leave it. I had been in the washroom at the time so didn't hear this first hand but after me asking again, we were quickly moved. Again she told me this is common behaviour. I couldn't believe it but there is no doubt it does happen......a lot.

Sad but true.

Cheers all,
Pict.

Sad....When will people realize there is only one "human race"..... Ignorance is bliss......

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Originally Posted by Pict
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As a Canadian male I have grown up in a predominantley white society. I didn't know a single black person until highschool when one young lady joined our school of 1000+ white kids in the 10th grade. Laura was an angel and quickly became beloved by all. I never heard anyone say a bad thing and one that would have dared would have been quickly "sorted'. I dated her in grade 13 and we had a fun time. While my parents liked her, my mum told me "not to get serious" and left it at that. At the end of school we went our seperate ways and I never saw her again. Sadly, she died in her early twenties.

The only other black person I ever knew was a lady I worked with in my twenties. Not being around black people I never knew of any racial issues and despite my mother's "warning" I don't believe there was any racism in my family as I grew up.

I'm not naive about racism and clearly remember first hearing of it in the famous book, "Black Like Me" that I read in grade 9 but I don't ever remember seeing it. I have always believed we Canadians were a much more tolerant society. Imagine my shock when I first encountered it two years ago.

My friend and I ( I call her my bud) had been shopping for motorcycle gear in a well known store and she had bought quite a few hundred dollars worth. I wasn't paying a lot of attention as she was checking out but i did notice that when presenting her Visa card the male clerk demanded her drivers licence and wrote down her information. I didn't notice any other purchaser being asked for ID. It hit me as we walked to the car and I asked her about it. She told me, "it happens all the time when you're black". I was pissed and was ready to march right in and have words with the manager. She stopped me.

Not a half hour later we stopped in to a big chain "roadhouse' for some food. Waiting to be seated, the hostess ignored us in favour of some couples that came behind us and when we did get seated, she put us into a booth right by the door that was right in a draft from the main doors ( it was in November). When my "bud" asked to be seated elsewhere the hostess told her she would need to get the "permission" of the server and she didn't think there would be another table availabe for quite awhile. So more or less take it or leave it. I had been in the washroom at the time so didn't hear this first hand but after me asking again, we were quickly moved. Again she told me this is common behaviour. I couldn't believe it but there is no doubt it does happen......a lot.

Sad but true.

Cheers all,
Pict.

Its really sad. Everyone is a book of blood, wherever we are opened its red.for me eating places havent been too bad but I've experienced similar...ID asking, worked with people who felt uncomfortable being or talking to me because I was black,being stopped always to check if I have a driving licence,whether its real or asking me if I've had a drink when I havent at all.What happened to you & your friend is ignorance at its best, without shame.

Racism in a restaurant, This reminds me of what happened to me and my family years ago. We were driving around Texas from my Grandmothers hometown to were we live and decided to stop in this small town at a restaurant to eat.

Well when we (my mom, grandma and me) walked through the door we noticed we were the only blacks there but I didn't think too much of it as in my school I was usually the only black person in my classroom. Well, after standing for a minute or two the owner of the restaurant came up to us and said "We don't serve Niggers here." I didn't know what to say but my Grandma just said "Well that's okay because we don't eat them." After that we just walked out.