By izusek / Getty Images
A recently opened restaurant in the US state of Missouri has rekindled the debate about discrimination against certain customer profiles. This time, it's not children or vegans who are being refused entry or excluded, but women under 30 and men under 35.
A recently opened restaurant in the US state of Missouri has rekindled the debate about discrimination against certain customer profiles. This time, it's not children or vegans who are being refused entry or excluded, but women under 30 and men under 35.
Are you a woman under the age of 30? Or a man under 35? Then you won't be able to sample the Caribbean cuisine of a new restaurant that recently opened in Missouri, USA. The owner says that the aim of this rule is to maintain a "grown and sexy" atmosphere. In a recent post on its Facebook page, the establishment explains that "as a Black-owned business, Bliss Caribbean Restaurant is dedicated to providing North County with an upscale dining experience.... This policy helps us maintain a sophisticated environment, uphold our standards, and support the sustainability of our unique ambiance."
For Marvin Pate, who opened Bliss Restaurant alongside his wife at the beginning of May, the rule is motivated by the desire to "[create] a mature and relaxed environment for all guests," while also enabling the eatery to "to focus on providing exceptional service and a memorable experience," while ensuring it "remains a premier destination for those seeking an upscale Caribbean dining experience." According to US media reports, ID is requested at the entrance to the establishment, which can be checked by a hostess or a St Louis County police officer.
The establishment's decision to discriminate based on age is, of course, controversial. However, not all consumers are offended, as can be seen from the comments on Facebook or on the Yelp recommendation platform. Opinions are very divided, with some customers, on the one hand, applauding what they see as a courageous choice to supposedly preserve the sophisticated atmosphere. Others, on the other hand, point out the nonsensical nature of the restriction when, for example, a group dining out may include several customer profiles, some of them under the age of 30/35. What's more, this restriction is all the more questionable since the age restrictions differ for men and women.
Children have often been the targets of this kind of discrimination in restaurants. In 2022, a Singapore restaurant was criticized for charging a fee to parents of noisy children, and in early 2023, an Italian restaurant in New Jersey added fuel to the fire by banning children under the age of 10.
On a completely different note, vegan diners were asked to refrain from eating at a restaurant in Perth, Australia, a year ago. And while dress codes are legion in France's top gourmet restaurants, often requiring men to wear jackets, a very select bar in the UK came under fire in 2022, when the owner stipulated that female customers should wear "skinny jeans with sexy black ankle-strap heels and with a form-fitting top." At a time when the question of gender and inclusion is reshaping the contours of society, this controversy reignited the debate on the appropriateness of requiring women to wear a certain type of clothing, as well as the legitimacy of restaurant owners demanding that their customers dress in a certain way.
