Woman claims 'racist' Alabama restaurant staff made her cover her crocheted top because it 'violated dress code'
- Aireal Bonner says she was racially discriminated against when staff at the Southern Kitchen and Bar in Alabama asked her to cover up Friday
- Bonner was wearing a crochet top, which staff said was a violation of its dress code
- The restaurant, however, lists no dress code on its website
- Bonner posted video of the encounter along with her account of the incident to Facebook and it was shared nearly 1,000 times
- Now the restaurant is facing a wave of criticism and has been pummeled with one-star reviews on Yelp and Google
- The volume of one-star reviews on Yelp became such that the company shut down posting on the restaurant
- The restaurant has also since deleted its Facebook page and made its Instagram account private
- Southern Kitchen and Bar did not return a request for comment
A woman in Alabama is claiming a restaurant racially discriminated against her when employees told her put a T-shirt on over her crochet top.
Aireal Bonner says she was sitting at the Southern Kitchen and Bar in Birmingham on Friday, when staff asked her to put a shirt on over her top, saying it was in violation of the establishment's dress code.
Now the restaurant is facing a wave of criticism for its handling of the situation.
Bonner posted video of the encounter to Facebook in which she is confronted by an employee, who asks her to cover up.
'I just need you to put a shirt on, if you wouldn't mind, that's why I'm trying to provide you with one for free,' the worker asks as she holds out a T-shirt in her hand.
Aireal Bonner (right) says she was racially discriminated against when staff at a restaurant in Alabama told her she needed to put a T-shirt on over her crotchet top or otherwise leave. Bonner posted video of the encounter on Facebook which was shared widely
Other video shared by a bystander of the encounter appears to show the establishment's general manager also confronting Bonner and asking her to leave
'So you want me, an adult, to put on a shirt,' Bonner replies.
When Bonner refuses, the employee says, 'I could just call Birmingham,' a possible reference to the police.
Along with the video, Bonner posted her account of the incident.
Share this article
'I walked through the door, spoke to the host, sat at the bar, had time to ask questions about the menu and order food and a drink. Not soon after my food order was placed, I was approached by the "manager"… about my attire,' Bonner wrote.
'I was initially told that the owner of the restaurant, Stephen, had called her from his home (he wasn’t even in the restaurant initially) because he had seen me on camera in the restaurant and asked her to come and harass me about the way I was dressed. She approached me initially asking if I had another shirt that I could put on. I told her no I did not as I was already wearing a shirt.'
In video Bonner recorded after leaving the restaurant she displayed the clothes she was wearing at the restaurant and claimed she had been racially discriminated against
Bonner's account of her encounter at the restaurant was shared nearly 1,000 times on the Facebook
In a second video taken by a bystander and shared by Bonner, Southern Kitchen & Bar General Manager Stephen Goode is seen speaking with Bonner and appears to ask her to leave.
'The second this man came in, he immediately began to handle the situation aggressively. Telling me that if I wanted to continue to dine there (after being harassed and embarrassed by a nonexistent dress code) that I would have to put a shirt that they so “generously” provided for free ... or get my food to go and leave, loudly in front of a restaurant full of people.'
The restaurant did not respond to a request for comment regarding the incident.
Southern Kitchen And Bar's does not list a dress code on its website, and among the dozens of one-star reviews people posted on Yelp and Google after Bonner's account was shared widely on social media, many noted that the Southern Kitchen and Bar had used photos of women wearing similar attire to hers to promote itself on its now-deleted Facebook page.
Dozens of people took to Yelp and Google to post one-star reviews of Southern Kitchen and Bar after Bonner shared her experience
Some noted that the restaurant had used women wearing similar attire to Bonner's to promote itself on social media
The restaurant has also made its Instagram page private.
The volume of people posting one-star reviews on Yelp prompted the company to disable posts about the establishment, and issue a warning.
'This business recently received increased public attention resulting in an influx of people posting their views to this page, so we have temporarily disabled the ability to post here as we work to investigate the content,' the company notification reads.
'While racism has no place on Yelp and we unequivocally reject racism or discrimination in any form, all reviews on Yelp must reflect an actual first-hand consumer experience.'
Bonner's video of her encounter was shared nearly 1,000 times since she posted it on Saturday, and viewed more than 200,000 times.
It caught the attention of the Alabama Rally Against Injustice, which has a sit in at the restaurant planned for Saturday.
Complaints on Yelp became such that the company disabled posting for the restaurant, and issued an alert
'It was recently brought to our attention a black woman was harassed at The Southern Kitchen & Bar because of her top,' the organization said in a statement. 'Many patrons have seen women wear crop tops and even bralets with no issue at this establishment. It has been confirmed they do not have a dress code and nothing is listed on their website. Their owner not only harassed the woman, but followed her outside. It appears to be discrimination.'
It is calling for the employee who initially confronted Bonner, and Goode to be fired.
'I was rudely mistreated by the manager and the owner for wearing what they called a bikini top, this is a crochet top, my nipples are covered, and they told me this is a "family restaurant" so I won't be allowed to eat there if I don't put on the shirt they provide for me, so f*** Southern Bar and Kitchen ... in Birmingham Alabama, do not eat there, they are racist, they slut shame, disgusting, disgusting behavior.'
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
