{"id":2998,"date":"2025-01-14T00:35:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T00:35:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=2998"},"modified":"2025-01-14T00:35:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T00:35:36","slug":"woman-kicked-out-of-family-restaurant-over-inappropriate-outfit-says-her-race-played-a-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=2998","title":{"rendered":"Woman Kicked Out Of Family Restaurant Over \u2018Inappropriate\u2019 Outfit, Says Her Race Played A Role"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aireal Bonner stated that she was \u201crudely mistreated\u201d by a Birmingham restaurant, and that she was kicked her out of the establishment over her attire. She stated that she doubted that her clothing was the real reason she was kicked out.<\/p>\n

She was told to leave Southern Kitchen & Bar in Uptown after she refused to cover her crocheted top \u2013 which the restaurant maintained was a \u201cbikini top\u201d that violates its dress code \u2013 with a shirt.<\/p>\n

In a video Bonner posted on Facebook, when she asked where the dress code notice was, the manager told her that the restaurant\u2019s dress code doesn\u2019t have to be posted because the restaurant is a private business.<\/p>\n

She was offered a t-shirt by another manager, but she refused to put it on. She was then asked to leave, with the manager threatening to call police if she did not exit the premises.<\/p>\n

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Bonner said in her Facebook post: \u201cI 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 \u2018owner\u2019 chose to run his business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bonner later claimed that she doubted her clothing was the reason she was kicked out.<\/p>\n

She told CBS 42: \u201cMy 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\u2019t directly say things like \u2018We don\u2019t like the color of your skin, we don\u2019t like the way that your hair looks,\u2019 my clothing was just used as an excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Southern Kitchen and Bar posted a statement on its Facebook page stating that Bonner\u2019s top was \u201cnot consistent with our appropriate attire policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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However, the restaurant apologized because the \u201cattempt to follow company policy was ill-timed\u201d since staff waited until she sat down before confronting her instead of when she first entered the establishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe regret interrupting Ms. Bonner\u2019s dinner and understand that would make anyone feel uncomfortable,\u201d the statement said, adding that it was \u201cestablishing more rigid protocols\u201d in the implementation of its policy, including addressing any issues at the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have done and will continue to do the work to ensure our restaurant is a place where all feel welcome,\u201d the restaurant said.<\/p>\n

Bonner refused to accept the apology, and asked people to bombard the business with negative reviews, leading to the establishment\u2019s Yelp page being taken down.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe apparent \u2018apology\u2019 statement for the TIMING on when I was confronted about a nonexistent dress code is as I said before\u2026LAUGHABLE,\u201d Bonner wrote.<\/p>\n

The group Alabama Rally Against Injustice has scheduled a sit-in protest at the restaurant on Saturday, claiming that there were pictures of other women wearing similar clothing on the restaurant\u2019s social media page.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrivate businesses have the right to run their establishment how they see fit, but their discrimination will not be tolerated,\u201d the group wrote.<\/p>\n