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Did someone forget to tell Cracker Barrel Mgmt that it's not 1940

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LynneSin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 12:33 PM
Original message
Did someone forget to tell Cracker Barrel Mgmt that it's not 1940
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2004-05-07-cracker-barrel_x.htm?csp=1

Cracker Barrel customer says bias was 'flagrant'
By Julie Schmit and Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

Their stories sound like tales from the pre-civil rights era. Terri Wise, 34, of Charlotte, browsed in a local Cracker Barrel store in 2001. Wise, who is African-American, says a white saleswoman followed her.

Cracker Barrel restaurants all look pretty much the same, but only restaurants in seven states are named in discrimination complaints.
By Tim Dillon, USA TODAY

When she picked up a doll, as shoppers do, the saleswoman took it from her and put it back on the shelf. The same thing happened with a greeting card. When Wise looked around, she noticed a white patron touching merchandise freely — without supervision.

The Rev. Henry Harris, 55, also African-American, says that at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Arkansas two years ago, he and his family watched for 35 minutes as white diners in parties of the same size who arrived after him were escorted to tables. He wound up in the smoking section "with other African-American patrons," even though he had requested non-smoking and tables were open there. When he appealed to a manager, he "politely looked at me and said if we were dissatisfied ... there was a Burger King" around the corner.

<<<<<more>>>>>>
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Fenris Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 12:36 PM
Response to Original message
1. I remember going to those restaurants
When I was in me early tweens, when me family and I traveled from Texas to North Carolina. I remember it was like stepping back into the South before blacks were considered people. Even at that age, I was kind of freaked out by the whiteness.

Cracker Barrel indeed.
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dbt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 12:40 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. That's what I'm talking about!
What do you suppose a Cracker Barrel is full of?

Crackers.

Any questions?

:evilgrin:
dbt
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supernova Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 12:46 PM
Response to Reply #1
5. LOL! Nice joke.
:-)
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SoCalDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #1
18. I still remember "Sambo's" Restaurants
They changed the name to "Seasons", and took down the decor of the original...Haven't seen one in ages.. I guess they alll went belly-up
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scottcsmith Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 06:25 PM
Response to Reply #18
20. We've got one in Oregon
There's a coastal town called Lincoln City that has one. I think it even has the offensive artwork.
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kskiska Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 06:49 PM
Response to Reply #20
21. The odd thing about Sambo's
(that to my knowledge is now Shoney's) is that the Little Black Sambo story has nothing to do with Negroes. The story is about a little Indian boy who outsmarted a bunch of tigers (no tigers in Africa).
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Rabrrrrrr Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 12:39 PM
Response to Original message
2. Geez - that's pretty blatant stuff
Denny's can't hold a candle to the integrity of the racism at Cracker Barrel.

I'm glad I've never supported Cracker Barrel with my money, though my uncle took me out to eat at one once. Appallingy faux-country bad interiors. Mediocre food.
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GoddessOfGuinness Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 02:32 PM
Response to Reply #2
16. Plus most of their "Americana" style merchandise
is made in China.

I went there once and found the service poor, and nothing on the menu appealing. I ordered a side salad, and they even fucked that up.
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supernova Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 12:46 PM
Response to Original message
4. I've NEVER SET FOOT inside a Cracker Barrel
for exactly those reasons.

Plus they don't hire gays. Fuck Cracker Barrel! :thumbsdown:
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GOPisEvil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 12:48 PM
Response to Original message
6. I've never been inside a Cracker Barrel.
I have never had the desire to. I had always heard complaints about racism and homophobia surrounding them. I'm glad to say they've never gotten a dime of my money. Plus, I hate bland food.
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Southpaw Bookworm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:00 PM
Response to Original message
7. Won't ever eat there again
A good friend of mine was a member of an African-American dance company a few years ago and had an incredibly ugly incident there. After a show one night, their bus stopped at a CB in Tennessee for dinner. After sitting there for 30 minutes and still not having been given a menu, a waitress finally came over and told them "Didn't anyone tell you we don't serve n*&%@$s here?"

And this wasn't the only place the group had that experience.
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Misinformed01 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:12 PM
Response to Reply #7
11. Did they sue?
I sure as hell would have.

btw-I grew up in the South, and I have never witnessed anything that ugly in recent years...and yes, I am old enough to remember the Civil Rights fights---

The most appalling part of that story would be if some of the other patrons didn't walk out--

Sad, sad commentary on some folks.
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Southpaw Bookworm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 02:53 PM
Response to Reply #11
17. No
From what I understood, they had been getting dirty looks from the natives the entire time they were sitting there and really didn't want to press the point for fear. As for later on, I got the feeling from my friend that this wasn't anything that out of the ordinary and she and her friends didn't feel like there was much they could do, being broke college students and all.
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DS1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
8. I had no idea they had restaurants
:shrug:
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TheBlob Donating Member (805 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:07 PM
Response to Original message
9. Hell, this is still going on in New York City
At least it was ten years ago when I worked at a little retail shop in the West Village.

The store owner would glare at black people whenever they came into the shop, sometimes walking less than three paces behind them.

At one point, after he saw that I wasn't harrassing them, he blatantly told me to watch 'them' whenever they came into the store and to make sure they KNOW they are being watched.

I refused to do so (no matter how much he hated me for ignoring his request).

That job remains at the top of my list of #1 assholes that I've worked for.
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Bronco69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:10 PM
Response to Original message
10. I'm proud to say that I have never
been inside a cracker barrel. These kinds of stories just make my skin crawl!
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THUNDER HANDS Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:13 PM
Response to Original message
12. not exclusive to this place
When I worked at a Blockbuster Video I was told to follow black customers around the store. I'm sure there are thousands of other businesses that do the same thing.
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supernova Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:24 PM
Response to Original message
13. I thought this crap was settled with the Denny's suit
from when was that... the early 90s?

Didn't Cracker Barrel get clue from that?

I'm not saying CB aren't racist; they are. I'm just saying it's amazing they seem to believe they won't get their pants sued off in the same way Denny's did.

Same shit, different restaurant. :-(
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The Backlash Cometh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 01:28 PM
Response to Original message
14. Then, you're not going to like my Cracker Barrel story.
I happen to like eating there. So when we took a trip oop North, we stopped in one that was off a Georgia interstate. There were black waitresses and it was a slow day. They kept staring at us and finally had the nerve to come up and talk to us. First, they were compimentary about how attractive our children look. (Cross between hispanic and European-caucasian-mongrels) and then, they were REALLY impressed that all I did once I came in was READ. I purchase newspapers at every local stop just to get a flavor of the area, and they wanted to know why I did so much reading. I really didn't know what to say.
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arwalden Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 02:02 PM
Response to Original message
15. They Fire Their Lesbian and Gay Employees If They Find Out...
... their sexuality. I often chastise my mother for eating there whenever she travels.

-- Allen
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Misunderestimator Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-07-04 02:58 PM
Response to Reply #15
19. Good ... 2 places I don't have to worry about
Cracker Barrel and the US Armed Services. Whew.

Do Ask/Do Tell
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