Florida Denny's Sued After Telling Arab Americans "We Don't Serve Bin Ladens Here"

They sued the restaurant owner, Restaurant Collection Inc., and former manager, Eduardo Ascano, saying they were harassed, humiliated and refused service at the Denny's in Florida City, southwest of Miami, in January 2004.

Lawyer Rod Hannah said the men had not ruled out an additional lawsuit against the Denny's chain, which paid about $54 million in 1994 to settle a discrimination suit filed by black customers.

The Florida lawsuit said the men visited the restaurant early in the morning of Jan. 11, 2004, and, after long delays, were seated, given menus and served drinks.

After waiting more than an hour for their food while later customers were served, they asked twice about their order. The lawsuit said Ascano told them "Bin Laden is in charge of the kitchen." Asked about the reference to the al Qaeda leader, he swore and told them, "We don't serve bin Ladens here" and ordered them to leave, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit said this violated Florida's Civil Rights Act by discriminating in public accommodations and that the owner was negligent in retaining a manager with a record of treating customers rudely and in a discriminatory manner.

"This type of discriminatory action against minorities is not only an attack on Arab Americans but an attack on America's core values and principles that every person, no matter what their race, color or religion, have certain inalienable rights," said Alan Kauffman, another of the plaintiffs' attorneys.

Restaurant workers declined to speak to Reuters but the South Florida Sun-Sentinel quoted owner Alfonso Fernandez as saying the men's allegations are false.

"We are truly committed to treating all of our guests with respect, and we take every guest concern seriously," he told the newspaper.

The lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on April 22 and asks for $4 million for each of the seven men, who live in the Boca Raton area. They are of Egyptian, Lebanese and Syrian descent and all but one are U.S. citizens, Hannah said. One owns a restaurant.

"They are all earning a living and are respectable and respectful citizens," Hannah said.

The men first filed a complaint with Florida's Commission on Human Relations, which said in January there was reasonable cause to believe they had been discriminated against.

Denny's Corp. is owned by Advantica Restaurant Group Inc. in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and has 549 company-owned and 1,036 franchised restaurants in the United States.

After the 1994 settlement with black patrons who said they were denied service or made to pay in advance, Denny's apologized and has greatly increased minority ownership of its franchises and minority hiring at restaurants and suppliers.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8335483