A couple of diners went to a Joe's Crab Shack last week looking forward to tasting some of its highly palatable seafood. Instead, they found something unpalatable but it has nothing to do with the food - it's the décor.
According to a Daily News article written by Christopher Brennan, Tyrone Williams and Chauntyll Allen was at the seafood chain's Roseville store looking forward to an enjoyable meal. However, a picture of a lynching greeted them when they looked down at their table.
The offending picture shows a group of white people watching the public hanging of a black man with the caption "Hanging at Groesbeck, Texas on April 12th 1895 and comes with a joking speech bubble "All I said was 'I don't like the gumbo!'"
Apparently, it was a depiction of an actual event. Death Penalty Information Center records show that the black man was Richard Burleson who was convicted in 1894 of killing a man with a rock.
Obviously, the tasteless décor choice with its attempt at humor did not please Williams and Allen at all and neither did it encourage their appetites. The diners left the restaurant and even rejected an offer of free food.
Allen, in a statement published by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said "As you can imagine, seeing that image ruined my appetite and my pre-birthday dinner. It's hard to believe that this type of racism is still going on in 2016."
However, Joe's Crab Shack was quick to apologize for the photo according to an article in WTVR. The article reported that the apology was done by David Catalano, COO Ignite Restaurant Group which is Joes Crab Shack parent company. Catalano said, "We understand one of the photos used in our table décor at our Joe's Crab Shack location in Roseville, MN was offensive. We take this matter very seriously, and the photo in question was immediately removed. We sincerely apologize to our guests who were disturbed by the image and we look forward to continuing to serve the Roseville community."
