Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see Black people speak out about experiencing racism at restaurants and other establishments. A recent example involves two Black women in California who said they were discriminated against while visiting a North Hollywood restaurant called VERSE LA.
According to the women, the restaurant was packed when they arrived. Hoping a table might open up, they decided to head to the bathroom and wait it out. While they were standing nearby, a customer seated at the bar noticed they were looking for somewhere to sit. He kindly told them that he and his friends were about to leave and offered them his seats once they were free.
The two California women said that once the man and his friends left, three seats at the bar opened up, allowing them to finally sit down. Shortly after, the third seat was taken by a White woman. As the two Black women placed their drink orders, a manager approached them and told them their seats were reserved for someone else.
According to the women, the manager’s tone was aggressive. He reportedly told them they could go “stand up against the wall.” That immediately raised questions for them. How could the exact seats they were sitting in suddenly be reserved when another group had just occupied them without issue? They also noticed at that point that they were the only Black patrons sitting at the bar.
The women said they were confused and uncomfortable, especially given the manager’s demeanor. They felt the situation could have been handled differently if he had spoken to them respectfully and explained why the White woman seated next to them wasn’t asked to move as well. Because of how they were treated, both women refused to drink what they had ordered.
Rather than addressing their concerns, the manager reportedly walked away without offering any explanation. One bright spot in the situation came from the bartender, who noticed what had happened and ordered the women complimentary shots as a gesture of support.
When the women decided to leave, they asked for the names of the staff members involved. Instead of apologizing, the manager allegedly smiled sarcastically and said, “Ladies, you have a great evening.”
By the end of the video they shared, the women said they were convinced they had been treated differently because they are Black. As a result, they said they do not plan to return to the restaurant.
People Reacting to the California Black Women Exposing the Restaurant
People were furious after they learned about what happened to the two California women. Not only did Black people support them, but White individuals too, including one woman who wrote, “I’m not black and I’ve never been to that restaurant but thanks for sharing because I will never go !” Others believed that the restaurant’s manager was being racist, especially since the bar isn’t supposed to have reservations. “Bar section is the only area that you don’t need a reservation,” one person wrote. Another person said, “Their open table doesn’t say anything about reservations at the bar…” Someone else wrote, “I have never heard of bar reservations at any place.those are always open seating even at the nicest restaurants I’ve been to.”
Others quickly began pointing out the flaws in the bar’s claim that the seats were reserved. One person asked, “Well, why didn’t the bartender tell you this before serving you?” A question many viewers felt was valid.
Another commenter said they decided to look into it themselves. “I checked the OpenTable app to see if bar reservations were even a thing there,” they wrote. “They’re not. This was discrimination. I’m so sorry you ladies went through this. I’ll never go there either.”
With those details in mind, many people agreed that the women had every reason to believe they were treated unfairly and that race played a role in what happened.
