Image Source: Wikimedia Commons; photograph by Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0
What Was the Accusation?
Le Bilboquet Atlanta, an upscale French restaurant in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, faced allegations of racial discrimination in May 2021 after former Atlanta Hawks player Dominique Wilkins said he was denied a table because he was Black. Wilkins wrote on social media that he had eaten at prominent restaurants throughout the world but had never before felt that he was turned away because of the color of his skin. He later said employees initially told him that no tables were available and then criticized his clothing after looking him “up and down.” Wilkins described his outfit as designer casual pants and a shirt.
The restaurant initially defended its business-casual dress code, which permitted jeans and sneakers but prohibited baseball caps, sweatpants, and other athletic clothing. Le Bilboquet characterized enforcement as an imperfect system and suggested that the dispute resulted from its attire policy rather than racial discrimination. The explanation drew additional criticism because other customers had also accused the restaurant of inconsistently applying the dress code. One Black patron, Monica Johnson, said she had been turned away several days earlier for wearing a cotton tracksuit but later observed other diners wearing similarly casual clothing.
Le Bilboquet subsequently apologized directly to Wilkins. Its first apology expressed regret for his experience and for confusion caused by the dress code while maintaining that the restaurant had not intended to make him feel unwanted. The restaurant then issued a more extensive statement acknowledging that its policy could be interpreted in ways that were demeaning and divisive. It announced diversity, equity, and inclusion training for employees, communication training for staff, a review of the dress code, and stricter procedures intended to ensure that restaurant policies were enforced consistently and equitably. The restaurant stated that it would not tolerate implicit or explicit bias. Wilkins had not publicly accepted the apology when the initial reports were published. The available reporting does not independently establish the employees’ motives, so the allegation of racial discrimination remains Wilkins’s interpretation of the encounter rather than a formally adjudicated finding.
Le Bilboquet Atlanta’s Initial Apology, May 23, 2021
We want to apologize to Mr. Wilkins for his experience at our restaurant and also for any confusion our dress code may have caused. We in no way intended for him to feel unwanted, and welcome an open dialogue with him. Our upscale dining experience and our brand’s culture is made up of multiple elements, which include our music, our food and our patrons’ attire. We continue to strive to manifest our dining experience in a way that is exciting and most importantly, inclusive.
Le Bilboquet Atlanta’s Expanded Statement, May 24, 2021
We sincerely apologize to Dominique Wilkins for the events that occurred on May 22. No patron of our restaurants should be made to feel unwelcome or less than, and for that we are deeply sorry. It was never our intention to make Mr. Wilkins—or anyone else for that matter—feel that way at our restaurant.
As an upscale, white table cloth, fine dining restaurant, we have a dress code in place to provide an experience that meets both our brand standards and our clientele’s expectations. While we will continue to have a dress code, we realize our current policy is subject to interpretation and can be unintentionally demeaning and divisive.
Accordingly, we are immediately making changes.
First, we will provide diversity, equity and inclusion training to all current employees and require it as part of our employee onboarding process moving forward.
Second, we are reevaluating our dress code and eliminating any ambiguities that may lead to misunderstandings.
Third, we are establishing more rigid protocols to ensure all policies, including our dress code, are consistently and equitably enforced by staff. This will include providing staff with communication training to make certain all messages to guests are clearly conveyed and appropriately delivered.
We will not tolerate implicit or explicit bias. We have done and will continue to do the work to ensure our restaurant is a place where all feel welcome.
Again, we apologize to Mr. Wilkins and hope these changes will be met with an eye toward progress.
