This article was in our newspaper this morning.
Old Glory emerges victorious in food fight. If Tony Fincher knew he'd be given a pop quiz in patriotism, he never would have stepped foot in Margarita Grill.
His Saturday night venture to the Halls River restaurant with his fianceé and another couple was a first — and a last, he said, after owners kicked the group out for not waving flags during a patriotic program.Their night began the same way as any other Friday or Saturday night at the restaurant since the 9/11 attacks. Restaurant owners cranked up a Sept. 11 tribute slide show and servers passed out flags for folks to wave to the music.The Spring Hill man said his group waved the flags for a bit, but stopped once their salads came out at about 9 p.m."A man came by and said, ‘I want you out of here,'" Fincher said. "At first, I thought he was joking. I didn't understand why. We weren't being disruptive."Fincher said he and his group got a little upset and left without finishing their salads."The guy at the next table tapped me and said, ‘just wave the flag,'" he said.The Vietnam veteran said he believes restaurant officials violated his civil rights.Margarita Grill co-owner Sam Piliouras disagrees."It hurts us to beg someone to wave a flag," Piliouras said. "We have a right to run our business the way we want to." Piliouras compared Margarita Grill's flag waving policy to a fancy restaurant's proper dress policy or the no-shoes policy at some Asian restaurants.Margarita Grill is up-front about its policy and posts two signs letting patrons know about the flag waving/slide show tribute."It says this is what we do, and if you don't like it, leave," Piliouras said.Restaurant employees also make an announcement prior to the 7-minute tribute, which includes "God Bless America" by Leann Rimes and "Proud to be an American."Fincher said he heard the announcement asking patrons to leave if they'd be upset seeing a 9/11 tribute slide show. "We weren't uncomfortable," Fincher said. "We didn't understand."If a customer refuses to wave Old Glory, he is ushered out to the tune of "Hit the Road Jack," Piliouras said.And Saturday's incident wasn't the first time someone challenged the policy. On Nov. 13, 2004, sheriff deputies arrested Keith Douglas of Marietta, Ga., after he became violent when restaurant owners asked him the leave because he refused to wave the flag."He threw the flag on the ground," Piliouras said.An altercation broke out and Douglas grabbed a 15-year-old boy by the neck.When deputies arrived, Douglas said he grabbed the boy by the neck, but that other employees were choking and punching him, according to the report.He was arrested on charges of battery and child abuse. He was jailed on $5,500 and released.
Piliouras, who runs the restaurant with his father, Tommy Piliouras, a Greek immigrant, said he doesn't understand why someone wouldn't want to participate in the tradition."Even if you don't agree with the war … it's not about that," Piliouras said. "You should be proud to wave the flag.."
|
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home