Black Man Files Discriminatory Lawsuit After Restaurant Demands He Prepay For Meal

Brian Eason claims he was asked by his waitress to prepay for his breakfast at Elmer’s restaurant in Oregon each time he placed an order while white diners were not.

An African-American man has filed a $100,000 discrimination suit against the Elmer’s restaurant chain after a Vancouver eatery allegedly told him he’d have to prepay for his meal.

Eason asked the waitress why he had to prepay and the waitress explained she was acting on instructions from the owner, the lawsuit said. Eason says he went to the Andresen Elmer’s “because it was not far from his realty office, and he wanted a quiet place to enjoy breakfast while writing out Christmas cards for his client list”.

Eason, 44, who is also a real estate agent in the area, is seeking $100,000 in compensation, according to his complaint, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Bothered, Eason went back into the restaurant after leaving a tip and a Starbucks gift card for the waitress and asked other White customers if they received the same treatment – they hadn’t.

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.

Kafoury said people need to take a stand when they encounter racism. She also apologized for the policy which she described as “discriminatory”.

Eason says the incident has caused him to lose sleep and he feels racially stigmatized.

“They’re awesome, they greet me, whatever I need”, said customer Greg Snegirev, who dines there often. “We are disappointed to hear about the complaint which occurred at one of our franchise-operated restaurants”, Ramos wrote.

A statement reads, “At Elmer’s, we are proud to provide a welcoming guest experience to everyone in the communities we serve”. Named as defendants are Elmer’s Restaurants Inc., Elmer’s Franchise Systems, the Vancouver franchise Karsan Inc., and its owner Sandra Lewis.

A spokeswoman for the Elmer’s restaurant chain, which was founded in 1960 and has 25 restaurants in four states, said the company was investigating Eason’s claims.

“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 told Reuters. “That was an important part of his decision to file a lawsuit”.