Bar owner apologizes to denied Polynesians
A Salt Lake City bar owner has apologized after one of his employees refused to serve two Polynesian men because of their ethnicity.
Patron Frank Maea said he and a friend had just entered Willie’s Lounge and ordered a drink when the bartender checked his ID and asked whether he was Polynesian. When he confirmed that he was, she said she couldn’t serve him.
“I have never been treated like that, never,” Maea told Salt Lake City’s KUTV.
Shocked, he took a cellphone video and posted it online before he left.
Owner Geremy Cloyd didn’t dispute the account in interviews Wednesday but acknowledged it was a mistake.
He said he has an informal rule allowing female bartenders working alone at night to turn away people who look like they could make trouble, and acknowledged that he has included Polynesian people in that category.
“It just so happens, our problem has been with Polynesians,” he said.
Cloyd said Thursday that he’s planning to meet with leaders of the local Polynesian community. Maea said he’ll accept Cloyd’s apology but doesn’t plan on going back to Willie’s.
9 responses to “Bar owner apologizes to denied Polynesians”
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UNFORTUNATELY, THE OWNER’S PROBLEM WITH POLYNESIANS GOES TO A DEEPER SEEDED AND MORE BASIC NEGATIVE HUMAN TRAIT – DESPITE THE SONG AND DANCE THAT WAS PERFORMED FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION AND MARKETING PURPOSES – WHICH MAY JUST RETURN TO BITE HIM IN THE MOST SENSITIVE AREAS. BEWARE THE MANA OF THE UNSPOKEN SENTIMENT!
DO YOU THINK TYPING IN ALL CAPS GIVES YOU MORE CREDIBILITY?
tailor, Your post looks like a bomb threat. Looks like something you would give to a bank teller………
I expected better from the sate of Utah. 🙁
The girls alone at night should not be alone. If you own a bar make sure you are ready to “handle” all your customers.
Make a sign on the front door. “We Shoot People Who Act Like Apes”. I put the same one on my front door. Now no Mormons want to knock on my door. It works.
One should read ANY of the books about the Duke’s experience in going to the mainland in 1932 on the way to the olympics. When there were black and while rest rooms???? Black and white water fountains???? Personally, I had never experienced anything like that growing up in the North and then being stationed in the South in the service–it was a different world and I guess a lot of it hasn’t changed—at least with the division Obama has given up.
Why is this under “Hawaii News”? Never happen in Hawaii. Kind of racist.
Open mouth and insert foot. Next step destroy your business.