A woman was asked to leave a family restaurant due to what was deemed an ‘inappropriate’ outfit. She believes that her race was a contributing factor in the decision.
Aireal Bonner reported that she experienced rude mistreatment at a Birmingham restaurant and was asked to leave due to her attire. She expressed doubt that her clothing was the actual reason for her expulsion.
Bonner was asked to leave Southern Kitchen & Bar in Uptown after she declined to cover her crocheted top, which the restaurant described as a “bikini top” that did not comply with their dress code.
In a video posted on Facebook, Bonner inquired about the dress code notice, and the manager responded that the dress code did not need to be posted as the restaurant is a private business.
Another manager offered Bonner a t-shirt, which she refused. She was then asked to leave, with the manager threatening to call the police if she did not comply.
In her Facebook post, Bonner stated: “I was threatened with police action simply because I wanted to sit and eat in an outfit that I felt comfortable and happy in. There was no customer complaint that prompted the situation. This was purely the way that the ‘owner’ chose to run his business.”
Bonner later expressed skepticism that her clothing was the actual reason for her ejection.
She told CBS 42: “My clothing was an excuse to not have me dine there. I think the biggest issue with my appearance is that I look very Afro-centric. My hair is an Afro texture. The way that I dress is Afro-centric. So I believe that because they can’t directly say things like ‘We don’t like the color of your skin, we don’t like the way that your hair looks,’ my clothing was just used as an excuse.”
Southern Kitchen and Bar issued a statement on Facebook stating that Bonner’s top did not align with their appropriate attire policy.
The restaurant apologized for the timing of their enforcement, acknowledging that staff should have addressed the issue when she entered rather than after she sat down.
“We regret interrupting Ms. Bonner’s dinner and understand that would make anyone feel uncomfortable,” the statement said, adding that they were establishing more rigid protocols to handle such situations at the door.
“We have done and will continue to do the work to ensure our restaurant is a place where all feel welcome,” the restaurant added.
Bonner did not accept the apology and urged people to leave negative reviews, resulting in the restaurant’s Yelp page being taken down.
Bonner called the apology statement “laughable” in another post.
The group Alabama Rally Against Injustice scheduled a sit-in protest at the restaurant, citing pictures of other women wearing similar clothing on the restaurant’s social media page.
“Private businesses have the right to run their establishment how they see fit, but their discrimination will not be tolerated,” the group wrote.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW: