An Asian American TikToker alleges she was seated at the back of a restaurant because she is a person of color, sparking debate over the restaurant practice.
TikToker Maggie (@sadgirlmaggie) posted a video earlier this week of herself at the restaurant. She pans the camera to show that she was seated near the restrooms—which she called the “POC section.” Maggie’s video has reached over 360,000 views.
“When you get seated in the POC section again,” the video text reads.
@sadgirlmaggie If you don’t know, sometimes restaurants seat ppl of color in the back near the restrooms because we’re less likely to have a problem with it and it looks better for the restaurant from the outside. I do not tolerate this shit and they need to be called out #poc ♬ original sound – Maggie
Maggie’s video caption explains her point further.
“Sometimes restaurants seat ppl [sic] of color in the back near the restrooms because we’re less likely to have a problem with it and it looks better for the restaurant from the outside,” Maggie said in the caption. “I do not tolerate this shit and they need to be called out.”
In the comments, Maggie explained that she and her friends—who are Indian and Argentinian—arrived when the restaurant was empty and were seated at the back.
“The restaurant filled up while we ate and it was pretty obvious…because it’s not only our table,” Maggie wrote.
Many commenters shared similar experiences.
“I’ve noticed this,” one user wrote. “It’s not hard to spot especially when there are 2-3 POC parties and we’re all sitting together.”
“No bc I thought I was buggin when my fam and I would ALWAYS end up sitting by the bathroom in the back,” another user commented.
“I work in a restaurant and they do this,” another user shared. “They say they don’t but I’m there long enough to see a pattern and occasionally the whole area will look very…. homogeneous.”
Some commenters doubted that such a practice existed. One user claimed that Maggie was “reaching.” Another said the restaurant couldn’t be racist because an employee, who is visible in the video, is Asian.
Several people shot back at these skeptical responses.
“Love how it’s the white guys saying it doesn’t happen, like they would know,” one user commented.
“Why are people so quick to excuse racism but are never speaking from experience,” another user wrote.
This isn’t the first time restaurants have been called out for racist customer service. Last October, one TikToker went viral after claiming a Texas restaurant segregated its Black and white patrons. In 2015, Cracker Barrel was sued for $8.7 million for segregating and denying service to Black customers. Waffle House also has a long history of racial discrimination complaints, Mashed wrote last August.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @sadgirlmaggie via TikTok.
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