NC study suggests that "race still matters" in dining out

[Robin Garr]

Study shows that, in restaurants, race matters

“A new study from North Carolina State University shows that more than one-third of restaurant servers discriminate against African-American customers.”

Researchers surveyed 200 servers at 18 full-service chain restaurants in central North Carolina. The majority of the servers surveyed – approximately 86 percent – were white.

What do you think? Would a survey done in Louisville restaurants yield similar results? Would it be any different at independent restaurants in our city’s urban "restaurant rows"?

http://phys.org/news/2012-04-restaurants.html

I'm not touching this subject with a 10" pole.
I wouldn't consider race as the issue as much as a normal stereotype of a certain group of diners..

Another sterotypical group that servers usually dread( I know I did when I was a server) is a large group of women diners eating out at lunch. Would that make them sexist? Some servers may also dislike waiting on families with small childern too. Does that make them discriminatory of families?

Stereotypes have of way of perpetuating themselves in real life. Otherwise why would they exist in the first place?

i like you Dan... you know that for a fact. but that is the sad thing.... people dont want to touch this subject.

but racism is alive and kicking. time after time.....after time. it is sad.....

sadly, it happens everywhere...... and restaurants are no exception.

Stereotypes have of way of perpetuating themselves in real life. Otherwise why would they exist in the first place?

Are you saying white people can't dance?

Stereotypes have of way of perpetuating themselves in real life. Otherwise why would they exist in the first place?

Are you saying white people can't dance?

If you've ever had the chance to see me get jiggy, you'd know that I have a chronic case of "white boy" on the dance floor......

i like you Dan... you know that for a fact. but that is the sad thing.... people dont want to touch this subject.

but racism is alive and kicking. time after time.....after time. it is sad.....

sadly, it happens everywhere...... and restaurants are no exception.

Unfortunately, you are right Becky. For every few servers out there that would provide lesser service to diners based upon an assumed poor tip or getting run into the ground, there are indeed some out there that are probably harboring feelings of hate because of some other cultural issue; whether it be race, sexual preference, gender bias, age, etc.

yup. and the funny thing is.... we are actually very laid-back customers and good tippers.

It would get the same results in Louisville. Or any city in America. Also it doesn't matter that the servers were white, black servers would give the same result.

I'm not going to get into the details of why as anyone who has worked in a restaurant knows and I don't want the rest of the forum to shoot the messenger.

It's funny how segregated dining is in most of America. The only places in the US where I see large numbers (not just a couple of token tables) of black diners in fine dining or even independent mid-range restaurants are Brooklyn and Atlanta, and I travel a lot.

A little more food for thought.

This is an old poll, but I doubt it has changed much.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4337&p=41529&hilit=demographics#p41529

Hotbytes Demographics

White 138
Black 0
Hispanic 4
Asian 1

A very successful Latino restaurateur and I were having a conversation about taking our kids out to eat. A quote from his wife: " and imagine the (negative) looks we get when we take our children to nice restaurants. Two strikes against us- we had children AND we're Latino!". I was honestly shocked- and she said it so matter-of-factly. Like they deal with it all the time- everywhere.

Deb

A very successful Latino restaurateur and I were having a conversation about taking our kids out to eat. A quote from his wife: " and imagine the (negative) looks we get when we take our children to nice restaurants. Two strikes against us- we had children AND we're Latino!". I was honestly shocked- and she said it so matter-of-factly.

Like they deal with it all the time- everywhere.
Deb

:::shaking head in agreement::: yes Deb.... it is a sad realization, that i believe some people are not aware of. i deal with that all the time. doesnt matter when my husband is with us or not.... the kids are one knock.... the color of their skin, another knock. when my husband is with us.... well there you go.

i have a myriad of experiences on this behavior. just happened to my husband and i Friday night at the mall... then to myself and my ducklings at the mall on sunday. another time two sundays ago when my husband and i decided to take the boys out for lunch after church.

and as can be seen with the posting of this topic.... at there being over 250 views, but only 10 responses, myself being 3 of them.... it showcases the fact that people do not like to discuss it and/or face it.

personally, it hits home and it strikes deep. this is not something that can be swept under the rug, but sadly many think that with the "movement" of the sixties many things are better. but they are not. when you think of it... 1960's, is only 50 years ago. in relevance to History, it is only yesterday. but it is too early, too soon and the hurt and hate continues.

:::shaking head in agreement::: yes Deb.... it is a sad realization, that i believe some people are not aware of. i deal with that all the time. doesnt matter when my husband is with us or not.... the kids are one knock.... the color of their skin, another knock. when my husband is with us.... well there you go.

i have a myriad of experiences on this behavior. just happened to my husband and i Friday night at the mall... then to myself and my ducklings at the mall on sunday. another time two sundays ago when my husband and i decided to take the boys out for lunch after church.

and as can be seen with the posting of this topic.... at there being over 250 views, but only 10 responses, myself being 3 of them.... it showcases the fact that people do not like to discuss it and/or face it.

personally, it hits home and it strikes deep. this is not something that can be swept under the rug, but sadly many think that with the "movement" of the sixties many things are better. but they are not. when you think of it... 1960's, is only 50 years ago. in relevance to History, it is only yesterday. but it is too early, too soon and the hurt and hate continues.

Becky, I wish I were sitting across from you right now so you could see my face as I'm talking to you. You say the the lack of responses here on this thread is an indication that people don't like to discuss or face this highly charged subject.

Well Becky, I will tell you that in my opinion it is hard enough to talk to people online about benign subjects without causing offense. A subject this sensitive is almost sure to cause extreme reactions whether intended or not.

For instance, your own statement seems to damn everyone who viewed this thread and chose not to respond. Is that what you meant to do? Do you accuse all those who chose not to respond as being unwilling to discuss or face racism?

I believe that most of the people who interact on this forum are among the most aware in this community and they don't deserve to be painted with a broad brush anymore than anyone should be characterized on the basis of their skin color.

I grew up in southern Indiana. I spent the next 21 years of my life traveling with the military and after returning here to live, it is my opinion that the area I come from and live in now is among the most prejudicial of any of the communities I've encountered in my life. Becky, I can hardly stand to be around some of my own family at holidays because of this issue.

I am thankful that my children got to experience diverse communities before they were brought here to live.

Having said that, I also believe that labeling all bad behavior towards someone of a minority aspect as being prejudice is too simplistic and is itself unhelpful. I don't know you or your family in the slightest. I believe it is certain that you and your family do experience prejudicial behavior. I just wonder though Becky, do you assume that every time someone treats you in a manner that you find distressing that it is due to prejudice?

I will tell you that if I'm in a restaurant and someone is sitting near and they are acting in a disruptive manner, I will likely move or ask them to cease the offending activity. This happens most often when parents don't require respectful behavior from their children in public. If I'm sitting in a restaurant near a family with children who are being loud and disruptive I am disturbed regardless of their skin color. Becky, if I asked you to moderate your children's behavior would you automatically think I was reacting to your children's skin color rather than their behavior?

My point is, while there is plenty of prejudice in this world and this community, to blame every negative reaction, instance of poor service, or rude manners on prejudice is an unbalanced, provocative viewpoint and itself shuts down useful discourse and discourages positive interactions.

Now, if you could see my face right now, you would know I'm not mad and I'm not trying to lecture you. I'm not assuming that you are not in perfect accord with me so don't you assume that this is an attack on you or evidence of my own prejudice. I have prejudices of my own and I fight to control them rather than be controlled by them. I am interested in hearing your reply.

I would like to sit across a table from you and your family while you tell me what you think. I believe that only when you can see a person's face, skin and all, can you hope to judge a person's motivations. Sometimes you don't even have to say anything..... sometimes you probably shouldn't.

Cheers Becky!

We have a black President. Clearly, we are at a point where we should be beyond race. At least that's what Fox News told me.

A white family living just down the street from my parents sold their house a few years back. Before they moved, the husband/father came down to apologize to my parents for selling to a mixed couple. Said, he hated selling to "those people" but they had to move the property. My mom told me she wasn't quite sure what to say. She just stood there in disbelief.

The reply I was considering was only to note that this is only a short article or abstract. It is not the paper itself, so there's no way for me to really even understand the study or how it was performed. Now, I did find the paper, but to read it, you have to pay $25 or subscribe to the journal. I declined to do that.

It continues to be my experience that many who say they want a conversation about race, really don't. What some want is validation of their experiences and maybe some commiseration. In theory I'd like to hear these stories and offer my solidarity. In practice, I remain very leery about engaging with these conversations, because many, many folks only want to stir the manure.

It's hard enough to talk rationally about Chick-fil-a, all the while being categorized as a homophobic hater Nazi. One must choose one's moments, and I wasn't moved to discuss a study that I haven't even read, with others equally ignorant of it's content.

As it stands, I'll let Dr. King speak for me in this matter:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

NOTE: Edited to remove unwarranted conclusions about another's posting.