By Allison C. Witty – VIN News
Brooklyn, NY – The River Café, located on the Brooklyn waterfront in DUMBO, has a covert policy of discrimination against Orthodox Jews, according to one past and one current employee. The New York Post reveals (http://bit.ly/RTB4r1) that the popular Orthodox Jewish dating spot assesses a $25-per-person minimum for Jews dressed in “religious garb.”
Using coded terms, reservationists alert the maître d’ if someone in a yarmulke, “religious hat” or “strings” requests a seat at the bar. “There are several notes in a book that the reservationists use,” said a present employee. “The book says that if two religious Jews come in, we call ahead to the maître d’ and say, “is there space for two at the water bar?’ – in which case, a minimum of $25 will be enforced that is just for Jews wearing yarmulkes or any sort of religious hat. The terminology in the book is ‘special hat’ or ‘religious hat.’ At the bar, the $25 minimum is only enforced for Jews.”
The restaurant manager denied the allegations, claiming that, “The $25 minimum applies to everyone.”
But snapshots of the reservation book obtained by the Post support the employees’ assertions. “If they look as if they will only order water (not that we stereotype or anything) mention the minimum right away,” one note from management reads. “If they ask for the bar and there is room, tell them there is a minimum at the bar as well.”
Another missive from management says they “have decided that when people come in for the bar and are A. wearing sweat pants and B. religious top hats and strings, you must say for A. gym bar and for B. water bar. Thanks.”
To further verify the employees’ claims, the Post sent a Jewish couple to the bar. The husband was wearing a yarmulke and his wife, a long skirt. They were told the bar was full, but they could sit on the empty terrace if they paid a $25-per-person minimum. A few minutes later, two Post reporters who were not dressed in religious attire, were seated on the terrace and were not subjected to the minimum. Their bill for a coffee and a gin-and-tonic came to $18.51.
The workers say management imposed the minimum because Orthodox Jews only come for the view, do not order alcohol, and take up space without spending enough money.
DO NOT GO THERE
Over the years I have been there (dating and now married), each time my partner and myself were treated with disdain and about a year ago was refused entry for not wearing a dinner jacket! (I was wearing a formal shirt and pants, but it so happened that the other three men in the place were wearing jackets… ). I was speechless. The wait-staff generally feel sorry for you and will call over the head manager who will treat you like dirt and do his best to make sure you never come back.
This is old news about the River Cafe. In 1993, the Jewish holiday of Purim was on Monday, March 8th. As the then President of the Rotary Club of Brooklyn, I attended to Rotary’s Annual Gift of Life Dinner, after the traditional reading of the Megillah of Esther. Following the Dinner, my wife and I went to the River Cafe to continuing celebrating Purim. I had rented a limo for the night (to avoid DUI). We were both in formal attire, with my wife wearing $50K of diamonds, which she had borrowed from work. We went to the bar and… Read more »
we may not spend a lot at cafes’ but we sure know how to sue the he– out of you transparent racists! i want my $50 back, with interest!
GOOD LUCK FINDING A LAWYER TO REPRESENT YOUR SORRY LITTLE EXCUSE FOR A CAFE’.
Besides your pathetic cafe’ smells like fish farts.
why are people commenting that a chabad guy shouldn’t be drinking beer on a date? Is this what I’m getting? For someone whose kids will be dating IYH’, why is this wrong? I’m not aware of all the rules
#2,9, 26,31 etc
First of all, Why are you taking a girl on a date to a bar filled with pritzus? Is this what chabad-lite encourages?
Second, If I would be running a bar and I saw clearly a pattern of people coming in just to use my space and ambiance but not buy anything I would also discriminate against them. Its called business, its not a chessed organization.
I experienced that discrimination when I went there. Beside the the $25 the waiter told that if we want to stay inside I have to take out my hat if not we should go to outside in the terrace. I didn’t want to ruin the date so I took out my hat but soon after I said to the girl that I felt uncomfortable there so I she doesn’t mind I would like to go another place which we indeed did.
At least they allow you in. At the 32nd floor bar at the Mandarin hotel, I waited with my wife for a table for about an hour and a half, while watching other people seated. I asked them if they had a reservation and they said no. So there you go
It is so nice how in one statement you can show that, not only are you an am haaerts, you have no problem casting doubt on your fellow neighbors as jumping to false conclusions. OT is to my amazement that anyone would want to stay frum if it means being an awefull human being.
Go chabad-lite!!!
If you had to call a rav to ask if you needed to return extra money that they over paid you – then your parents didn’t bring you up right.
stealing is stealing.
it doesn’t matter who its from.
They prob treated you that way because you tried freeloading off their nice view and free drinks. People like you make me feel good that I don’t live in CH anymore.
Went there on a date…had great drinks…so pay the $25 and get good heaven drinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are renaming the bar ” THE SHNORRIVER CAFE”
I’m married already.
# 17 According to ‘Halacha’ you cannot steal from a non-Jew. Even ‘ganevas daat’ is ‘issur.’
We are supposed to be ‘A light to the nations.’ Look at the way ‘The Rebbe, MH”M’ acted in France. He helped the non-Jewish students and was a true ‘friend of mankind.’
What’s our goal, anyway? To create a world of friendship and unity.
A non-Jewish check cashing establishment in Crown Heights gave me $10 too much. I called Rabbi Marlow, A”H. He said it’s a ‘Chassidka derech,’ and a Kiddush HaShem’ to return it…I did.
You shouldn’t be drinking beer on a date. It is out of line with the Chabad way of life.
However, it would appear that you already know that, but may have received a hetter from your local Rov at Chevra Ahavas Yisroel.
Good day sir.
and if they dont want to serve people taking up space without a cover then that is their business and quite legitimate too.
When frum Jews are discriminating against each other, slandering and creating libels against each other, you can’t expect non-Jews not to be doing it to frum Jews.
I went there with my kallah and they treated me pashut like dirt I’m serious. Who will stop them if not us. They must realize and acknowledge their misdeeds.
no, that is why they only drink water!!!!! a lot of ppl don’t date at kosher places, because they DON’T to be seen!
#4 read #5
Why is a cola more expensive at an airport or ”tourist” spot?
Each seat costs the bar owners a certain amount of rent every hour. Should he lose money ?? Suppose the owner was a Jew,isn’t that stealing from a Jew,heaven forbid?Sometimes “discrimination” is really common sense,as in pulling over a car that is being driven without lights or people behaving or dressing outside of acceptable societal parameters.
Every time I go out on a date, to a bar or to a no-kosher restaurant, I always tip well, usually more than %100 of the rest of the bill. After all 3 hours and all I order is a few beers and some water, I try to show some appreciation to the wait staff hoping that in the future they will not cringe when they see a frum couple walk in. Remember, even in this type of establishment, the staff decides what the cover will be, they determine upon whom to reinforce this discriminatory policy. They don’t earn a… Read more »
There is a minimum for all but they can’t enforce it with their traife clientele since they’ll likely lose business and customers who go there for classy traife.
Isn’t there a Halacha that you shouldn’t go into a store if you don’t plan to buy? I think this very similar, don’t go to a fancy restaurant, take up expensive seats for a few hours and pay a few bucks….or…go and pay a premium.
it’s not really discrimination as much as it it simply that Jews on dates come in there and don’t really spend that much money. They get water and then sit there for hours. So in order to make sure they can actually profit they put that minimum there.
Why is this discrimination? It wrong and a big chilul hashem for people to just go and sit there without ordering anything. They are a business and invite people to they location so they can sell them drinks. If you know you wont be buying anything there go to a public spot instead of expecting a cafe to invest tons of money in a beautiful location so you can come in and enjoy it without them gaining from it. This is the horrible entitlement mentality where people think everything is here for them and have no respect for other people… Read more »
Frum Jews have no business entering a treif restaurant , or sitting and drinking (even water) at the bar.Certainly OT and ULY bochurim and Beis Rivka gorls should not be seen in such places. Go to a kosher place, where a Jew can make a dollar off you.
Kosher?
The minimum should be EQUAL for all.
It’s ‘discrimination’ between clients.
Noone wants to go to a cafe’ where clients are treated differently due to appearance.
Even if he may not be an antisemite…the action is disgusting
Shliach
i went there on a date and poor guy had to dish out over 60 for 2 glasses of water.
Who orders water on their dates? C’mon, get a nice screw-driver or a beer…y do ppl think that not dating over full meals means u can’t drink either??
There is absolutely no issue with them charging a minimum fee. They are in an amazing location with huge property taxes, and by people taking up a table for a few hours and only buying water, that takes up the spot so someone else who wants to buy a huge meal can’t, because you are occupying a table. Charging a minimum fee ensures them that they’ll at least receive that amount from anyone coming in.
The issue here is that they only enforce their minimum on Jews. THAT is discrimination, and that’s despicable.
When was the last time you read a history book? Don’t be so ignorant; you aren’t helping the situation.
I think we should save our protests of anti-semetism for all the cemetery desecration, Ukranian Doctors being murdered and other atrocities around the world, Not for a restaurant that is that’s trying to stay in business selling lobster and other expensive traife food rather than serving up shidduch dates 2 glasses of water over 3 hours.
These people are sick. Jew hating people, it’s sad to
Think we have people living like this in our world…
We need moshiach & please G-D we as Jews will be running the world again…
this is not discrimination against orthodox Jews, this is discrimination against people who take up space in the bar and don’t buy anything expensive.
Makes sense. Any eatery gets upset when you come in and don’t pay much
I went there on a date.. they told me 25 bucks a drink.. they sliced a lemon and put in my drink – i said i cannot have this drink bc of the lemon (cut with non kosher knife) … i landed up spending $75 on 3 drinks…. SICK!!!!!
We’ll boycott you, apparently that’s exactly what you want