Restaurant group apologizes after refusing service to Black mother, 9-year-old son over dress code

A restaurant group apologized this week after one of its locations in Baltimore denied service to a Black mother and her 9-year-old son because the boy was in athletic gear.

Marcia Grant shared several now-viral videos of employees at Ouzo Bay in Baltimore telling her and her son, Dallas, that they could not dine at the restaurant, citing the boy’s athletic shorts. He was also wearing an athletic shirt and athletic shoes. 

Grant also shared photos of a white child who was served at the restaurant wearing a T-shirt and athletic shorts. 

“I have faced racism time and time again, but it’s hard AF, when you have to see your child (9yo) upset because he knows he’s being treated different that a white child!!!” Grant shared on Facebook. 

In the video, Grant asks an employee of the restaurant repeatedly why they could not be served, and an employee replies “unfortunately, we do have a dress code,” asking if her son could possibly change clothes.

Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Ouzo Bay in Baltimore, issued a statement Monday calling the incident “incredibly disturbing.”

“This should never have happened, the manager seen in the video has been placed on indefinite leave. We are sickened by this incident. We sincerely apologize to Marcia Grant, her son and everyone impacted by this painful incident,” the statement said.

“While dress codes across Atlas properties are the result of ongoing input from customers, in no way are they intended to be discriminatory. That said, this past weekend’s incident at Ouzo Bay clearly serves as a moment we will learn from and create change. We’ve taken the time to gather the facts and repeatedly review the video and interview employees,” the statement continued. 

The restaurant group said they revised their dress code policy to not include children under the age of 12. They also said that “All Atlas employees will continue to receive diversity and inclusion training during this very important time.”

This is not the first time the restaurant group has come under fire for its dress codes. Last year, its Baltimore restaurant Choptank changed its dress code banning “baggy clothing, sunglasses after dark and bandanas,” after facing criticism, according to The Associated Press.