Restaurant Fined for Making Black Customers Pay in Advance - BBC

A Canadian human rights tribunal has ruled that a restaurant discriminated against black customers by making them pre-pay for their meal.

May 1, 2018 - 14:01

A Canadian human rights tribunal has ruled that a restaurant discriminated against black customers by making them pre-pay for their meal.

Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant, in Toronto's Chinatown, has been fined C$10,000 ($8,000; £5,700).

The money will go to former customer Emile Wickham, who filed the complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

Mr Wickham was celebrating his birthday with three black friends in 2014 when the incident occurred.

He told the tribunal that when he and his friends sat down, they were the only black patrons in the restaurant. Their waiter told them it was "policy" to pay before they were served, he said.

The group paid, but after Mr Wickham said he felt uncomfortable and began to ask other patrons if they had been asked to pay in advance. He told the tribunal they had not.

He complained to the waiter, was offered a refund and left.

Shortly after the incident, Mr Wickham filed the complaint with the human rights tribunal.

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