Justice Department finds Kung Fu Saloon biased vs. Asian and African Americans

The Kung Fu Saloon and Restaurant in Dallas, Texas.

YOU WOULD think that an establishment called Kung Fu Saloon - I'm not lying - would welcome Asian patrons.

Well, you'd be wrong.

For years there have been complaints against the Texas-based bar for discriminating against patrons based on their race, and the U.S. Department of Justice agrees.

Today (June 30) the DOJ announced that it has reached a settlement resolving allegations of race, color and national origin discrimination with the owners and operators of Kung Fu Saloon, a bar and restaurant with locations in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas.

According to a DOJ press release, the department’s complaint alleges that the defendants – Routh Guys LLC doing business as Kung Fu Saloon; Washington Guys LLC doing business as Kung Fu Saloon; and Grand Guys LLC doing business as Kung Fu Saloon – violated Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American and Asian-American patrons because of their race, color and national origin. 

A dress code was used to discriminate
against some customers

Specifically, the suit alleges that in dozens of instances, the defendants denied African-American patrons entry into Kung Fu Saloon locations based on a dress code when similarly dressed white patrons were permitted to enter. The complaint also alleged that the defendants engaged in other practices to limit the number of African-American and Asian-American patrons at Kung Fu Saloon’s locations. 

“The terms of the decree require the defendants to comply with federal law by not discriminating against patrons on the basis of race, color or national origin; to post and enforce a non-discriminatory dress code policy; to implement a system for receiving and investigating complaints of discrimination; and to conduct monitoring to ensure that Kung Fu Saloon’s employees are acting in a non-discriminatory manner consistent with federal law.”

In other words, the Justice Department has to sign off on everything, from what the dress code says to how training is conducted to how policies are enforced.

In some instances, the doorman would use an alleged "dress code" (ie. wearing Converse shoes is a no-no) to limit black and Asian customers entrance to the restaurant and bar. Moments later, similarly dressed white customers were allowed in. 

A former hostess said she was told to tell black and Asian customers wishing to make reservations over the phone that the restaurant is booked. She said she could distinguish the race by their accent or dialect.

She says her boss would complain to her, "That its too dark in here," if there were too many African Americans in the restaurant; or "It's too Asian." 

Here is the consent decree and the complaint.

“Places of public accommodations, such as bars and restaurants like Kung Fu Saloon, should be open to all persons, regardless of race or national origin,” says Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in a prepared statement. 

“The Justice Department will continue to work vigorously to protect the rights of persons of all races and national origins to be free from discrimination in public accommodations across the country,” says Gupta, herself an Asian American.

On second thought, a place called Kung Fu Saloon doesn't deserve your business.

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