An African American man who says he was asked to pay for his meal before dining at a Washington state restaurant-unlike white diners around him- has filed a $100,000 discrimination suit against the chain.
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On December 16, 2014, Brian Eason had ordered breakfast and a Bloody Mary at an eatery which is part of the Elmer’s chain, and located at 7105 NE 40th Street, in Vancouver, Washington.
A black customer that had been forced to prepay his meal has sued the restaurant, citing discrimination, it has recently been reported.
A waitress took Eason’s order but demanded that he prepay for his meal, according to Eason’s lawsuit.
“I said, ‘This is kind of odd that I have to prepay every time I order my food and drink, ‘” Eason recounted. “She said, “I think it’s discrimination and my boss is here, and she’s forcing me to have me do this”.
He tells The Oregonian that he tipped her well since she was just doing her job and clearly felt ashamed, but he says the more he thought about the situation, the angrier he became.
The waitress then apologized and acknowledged the policy was racist, but still continued to ask that Eason prepay for his meal. “What else are they going to say?”
“They’re awesome, they greet me, whatever I need”, said customer Greg Snegirev, who dines there often.
If the restaurant wanted to curb theft, asking only customers who sat in the lounge or only customers who ordered alcohol to prepay doesn’t make much sense, McDougal said. “Of course, they were not asked to pre-pay”, Kafoury said.
Eason’s lawsuit names a few defendants, including the franchise that owns the Vancouver Elmer’s – Karsan Inc.
The suit says Eason prepaid for his meal and “continues to suffer” from being racially stigmatized.
According to The Oregonian, an Elmer’s representative said she couldn’t comment on pending litigation.
Elmer’s, founded in 1960 in Portland, has 25 restaurants in four states, according to the company’s website.
In a statement, officials with Elmer’s told KOIN 6 News, “We are disappointed to hear about the complaint which occured at am Elmer’s location owned and operated by one of our franchisees”.
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“It’s important that young black kids grow up in a world where they know that when they are discriminated against they don’t have to take it”, Kafoury said.
