Group protests restaurant it says mistreated people because of race

ATLANTA — Dozens of protesters gathered outside two Atlanta restaurants Friday night.

The group started at the Houston's on Peachtree Road and then moved to the Houston's on Lenox Road.

Group members said they are protesting against the unfair treatment they said customers received at the Houston's restaurant on Lenox Road.

They said last week, a group of seven people tried to eat at the location, but were told the restaurant could not seat a group that large. The people said they would split into two groups, but said that Houston's refused to let them do so.

The customers said they saw photos online of groups of seven or more seated at the restaurant. They believe they were mistreated because they are black.

"We cannot see change until someone speaks up, someone takes a stand, someone has a voice," Ernestine Johnson said. She is one of the customers who organized the protest.

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Friday night's protest came after another protest of the restaurant last week.

"I mean, it's several people in Atlanta, prominent people in Atlanta, influential people in the city who have faced this type of discrimination," Johnson said.

She said she tried to have a conversation with the restaurant owner before the protest, but could not get a meeting.

"It took for us to make a lot of noise for them to finally respond, and when they responded, there was no apology and it wasn't the truth. That's why we're here today," she said.

The Hillstone Restaurant Group, which owns Houston's, sent a statement that said:

"Hillstone is proud of the diversity of our guests and staff. We are also proud Houston’s has had a home in the great City of Atlanta for almost 40 years. We have zero tolerance for discrimination, and are committed to making sure all of our guests feel welcome. For these reasons, we are saddened that a recent interaction with a group of guests in Atlanta has been called into question by some who have unfortunately viewed a guest relations incident in racial terms.

"Two of the guests involved in last week’s incident have retained a lawyer to represent them. Accordingly, we are constrained in our public comments. Hillstone has, however, reached out to the guests’ attorney several times to request a meeting to resolve his clients’ concerns and even invited them to lunch before today’s protest. In response, we have been advised that the meeting may not occur until after a planned protest.The invitation is open, and we await their response. Wait times at our restaurants are often long, and most of our locations have very few tables that accommodate more than six guests comfortably. At our Lenox location, where the incident occurred, we have only two tables where parties of seven can be seated comfortably, both of which had been seated shortly before this party (of at least seven) arrived. We offered to add this party’s name to the waitlist for one of those large tables, but upon hearing the 'wait time' could be over an hour, the party informed us they did not want to wait. Instead, the party asked to split up and sit at two separate tables. When told that the store’s general policy is not to 'split parties,' the guests strongly expressed their frustration, causing a disturbance and resulting in the guests being asked to leave.

"People have asked why we did not agree to split this party and seat them at separate tables. Our policy against splitting single parties into multiple tables is rooted in the dynamics of groups. Through our years of experience, we have observed that a large group split into multiple tables continues to function as a single group. Understandably, friends want to sit with each other, talk to each other, and share their dining experience together. These dynamics can impair the dining experience of other guests and hinder our ability to provide service at the high level to which we strive. Accordingly, our website informs guests that parties of six or more may not be able to be accommodated at our restaurants. The policy is not linked to the race of our guests.

"Allegations of discrimination and racial profiling are wholly inconsistent with the African American management and staff working in the restaurant, our initial offer to seat this party as soon as one of our larger tables became available, and the large number of African American guests who regularly dine with us at the restaurant, including at that time of this incident. As a result of this unfortunate incident, however, we are reviewing the application of our general policy regarding splitting parties, and will continue to make refinements to improve our guests’ experience. We are in the hospitality business in the heart of a city known as the cradle of the Civil Rights movement, and we are always looking for ways to improve the experience of our wonderfully diverse customer base.

"The events of October 6 are unfortunate and regrettable. We look forward to meeting with Mr. Morrison, Ms. Johnson and their attorney at the earliest opportunity with the hope of amicably addressing their concerns. We hope to continue to employ our diverse staff and to serve all of our guests with the same good food and service all of Atlanta has come to expect at Houston’s. Accordingly, we request your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this unfortunate matter."

Cox Media Group