Diana R.
Yelp
Today I decided to take a break and have a glass of beer at a local Bed Stuy establishment. I left highly offended when it was time for me to pay for my beer. I realized after I ordered the beer that it was a $10 minimum on debit cards. I told the bartender (white guy with a baseball hat husky possibly brown hair) that I will go next door after I finish my beer to withdraw the money for the bill, which was only $5. Before I decided to go next door, the bartender asked me to leave my phone with him in case I do not come back. I was highly offended, and I do not know if it was because of the color of my skin, that he did not believe that I will return to pay for a measly $5 beer. I Proceeded to tell him I will not under any circumstance leave my phone or anything of valuable nature just for a $5 beer. I have never been so embarrassed in my life and I truly believe that it was because I am black and his patrons do not normally look like me. I will never patronize this establishment and it makes me extremely sad and embarrassed along with many other feelings but this has happened to me in my own gentrified neighborhood. All of this for a $5 beer, I mean I work really hard and have a career!
To add further insult to injury, I put a paper on top of my beer to indicate that I am coming back to finish my beer. Once I came back the bartender threw my beer away and said I didn't have to pay for it. I said I will pay for my beer and I tipped him.
Update:
The owner replied and explained that she was there the entire interaction and felt the bartender was right. She also proceeded to explain that she feels there was nothing wrong with what happened.
I responded:
Unfortunately, regardless of your response to be, this does not alleviate the situation. Its truly ashame , again , as a owner you sat there and did not intervene. At the end of the day, I am a member of the community that was willing to spend my money at your business. This interaction was judgmental and could be presumed as racist. I will stand by my statement to say, if I looked like you or your bartender, I would not have been treated in this manner. Also, as a bartender I know if someone put something over their glass, it is an unspoken rule that the person is coming back. Your bartender took it upon himself to throw my drink away. In your response, it further proved that you and your bartender really thought I was not coming back to pay for my $5 dollar drink. At the end of the day, you lost me as a customer and more than likely future customers over you and your prejudice attitudes. I have no reason to ever skip out on a bill, especially one for $5. I have friends (non African American etc) that have been in this situation and have never been asked to leave a valuable item for a $5 dollar drink. I am pretty sure again, if I was a White professional man/woman and I ordered that $5 dollar drink, you would not have asked me to leave a valuable item. All I ask is for trust in your neighborhood and patrons that are "different". Again, this is my neighborhood, born and raised. I frequent many bars and restaurants. I come from a family that owned bars. I know what customer service is and most importantly I know what respect looks like. The way the situation happened yesterday, showed lack thereof. You should be ashamed to admit that you was the owner that sat through all of this. My voice will be heard and respected on all platforms as the power of communication is beautiful.