Complaint Review: Golden Corral Hwy 55 Durham

On August 7, 2018, my brother, mother and myself visited the Golden Corral restaurant on NC Hwy 55 in Durham, North Carolina and were met with one of the most heinous forms of racial discrimination-- asking to show a receipt following the purchase of our meal. 

As most people are aware, customers purchase their meal at a cash register located in front of the restaurant where a cashier sits and takes your money. Then, the rest of the dining experience is completely self serve. The manner in which the restaurant is set up leaves very little opportunity for a customer to steal anything or leave without paying. However, as my family and I sat down to eat our food, a server stood over our table and literally watched us begin to eat. When I asked why he was standing at our table staring at us, the worker asked to see a receipt for our purchase. I was immediately stunned but reached into my purse and handed the worker my receipt. I also asked why he needed to see my receipt when my family and I had left the cashier station only 5 minutues prior. We thought that there was no reason on Earth why someone would suggest or even accuse us of having not paid for our food. Ridiculous.

We watched as the worker made notations on the receipt and explained that he had to check for our drink purchases. I had water, and both my brother and mother had tea. What was the issue? Is this particular Golden Corral location having a problem with customers not paying? How so? And, if so, why harass, humiliate and degrade everyone else? If the restaurant is having a problem with customers not paying, then there needs to be a better way in which to handle it. The current policy is discriminatory and racist. As a paying customer, I have the right to sit down and eat in peace, without being stared at by a restaurant worker because he thinks that I stole my food. That is insane! 

There is no disclaimer or sign anywhere inside or outside the restaurant warning customers of this ridiculous policy and Golden Corral underhandedly implemented it for a very stategic and sneaky reason. If customers knew beforehand that they would be asked to produce a receipt AFTER sitting down to eat, they may think twice and go elsewhere. My family and I were not the only upset diners that evening. During our meal, we saw two other parties who expressed their discontent at the receipt policy and I even spoke to one of the other customers about it. This woman stated that she was unhappy and planned to file a complaint. 

If Golden Corral thinks that what happened to Starbucks could and would not with Golden Corral, the people in the corporate office are fooling themselves, only. I have pledged to get the word out via social media about Golden Corral's racist receipt policy. It is no secret that a large number of African Americans live in Durham and thus Golden Corral feels the need to keep us in check using a disgusting policy associated with an abysmal history of deep-seated racism in places of public accomodations. When will it ever end?

I encourage African Americans to contact the Golden Corral corporate office located on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh and file a formal complaint about their receipt policy. This complaint can be either written or verbal by asking to speak to either the district or regional manager. I submitted an online inquiry via the company's website asking for one or the other and to date neither a district nor regional manager has contacted me. Since I am being ignored, I plan to send a certified letter to the Board of Directors.