In the heart of Los Angeles, Great White: a trendy café in West Hollywood / Melrose – now finds itself under harsh public scrutiny. What began as a viral video alleging discriminatory seating practices has mushroomed into a broader movement demanding justice and answers. The evidence, from patron videos to employee testimonies and community commentary, points toward a pattern of racial bias. The question is no longer whether wrongdoing occurred, but how deep it runs — and whether Great White will own up to it.
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From Viral Video to National Disgust
The catalyst was a video posted by a diner, Cassidy Cho, who documented her experience and observed: “They put all the Asians in one corner … it’s all white people in the main seating area.” According to media reports, she said: “Another corner [was] filled with Asians too.” ([turn0news10]) That footage spread rapidly across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, reigniting conversations already simmering in immigrant and Asian American communities.
In response, Great White’s co-owners defended themselves, calling the allegations “outrageous and completely false,” insisting they never seat people based on ethnicity, and painting their restaurant as one founded on “openness, warmth, and hospitality.” ([turn0news10])
But denials alone won’t quiet the multitude of voices saying otherwise.
The Reddit Voices: Sharp, Unfiltered, and Disbelieving
On r/AsianAmerican, the discussion has been fierce. The Reddit thread, titled “LA restaurant Great White accused of segregating Asian diners,” features firsthand reactions, skepticism, and calls for accountability.
One user wrote:
“Last time I remember being noticeably segregated was at Denny’s in the 90s, but LA has a history of pretty blatant racism in hospitality.”
— asserting that what’s happening at Great White is not an anomaly, but part of a persistent pattern.
In other threads beyond that core post, additional testimonials emerged. One commenter in r/Asian added:
“This is a form of indirect discrimination … People with the ‘right’ look and skin color will be sat by windows … Anyone appearing undesirable will be sat in the back or in a hidden corner.”
— articulating how seating bias often hides behind vague language about aesthetics.
That same thread also carried a scathing allegation:
“Sam Cooper the Australian owner told staff at Gran Blanco not to let too many Black people in lest the place get too trashy and ghetto.”
— a claim that, if true, suggests systemic prejudice across multiple properties.
These statements are not fleeting complaints — they are part of a collective cry for transparency. They reflect anger, pain, and resolve. The community is not asking for explanations — it is demanding consequences.
Patterns Over Denials: Why the Claims Must Be Taken Seriously
Dismissing this as misinterpretation ignores the weight of consistency. The video evidence, combined with overlapping testimonies — from diners, former employees, and community observers — points toward more than coincidence.
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The claim that staff were told to limit “ethnic looking people” or to seat them in less visible areas is echoed across multiple reports.
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Those impacted report slower service and distinct separation — even when other sections had open seating.
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The tone of the complaints, and the outrage directed at Great White, underscores a deeper wound: that restaurants, especially in diverse cities, cannot pick and choose who gets to be seen.
It is not enough for Great White to simply reject these accusations. It must confront its own practices, policies, and culture. If there were no deliberate discriminatory practices, transparency and accountability should bolster trust — not silence it.
What Great White Owes the Community
To begin repairing trust, Great White must move beyond defensiveness. Here are minimum steps it should commit to:
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Invite independent audits of seating logs, reservation data, and customer complaints to check for racial disparity.
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Open the books on training and internal guidance given to staff regarding guest seating and customer appearance.
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Offer public acknowledgment that patrons felt marginalized — even if the restaurant did not intentionally discriminate.
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Mandate anti-bias training for all front-of-house personnel, with specific instruction on seating equity.
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Create oversight mechanisms — perhaps a community advisory board or periodic third-party reviews.
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Make restorative gestures — e.g. issuing public apologies, offering restorative credits or free meals to those wronged, and showcasing accountability.
If Great White truly believes in inclusivity, it must act like it. Empty statements of denial aren’t enough when lived experiences tell a different story.
This is About More Than One Cafe
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about Great White. It’s about how racism is baked into everyday interactions we often take for granted — who gets prime visibility, who is politely ignored, who is pushed into the back. The seating chart becomes a mirror of systemic bias. When multiple affected diners independently reach the same conclusion — “they always put us in one corner” — that signals something deeper than an overworked hostess or an odd layout.
The Asian American community and allies are watching closely. The question now isn’t whether Great White made a mistake — it’s whether it will take responsibility, correct course, and make systemic changes so that no diner feels segregated ever again.
