Black Professionals Demand Apology From Florida Restaurant After Being Told To Leave For Another Party

Leon Gantt and Stephanie Tolbert were part of a group of Black professionals who dined at a Florida restaurant. In a recent interview, the pair shared their experience and recalled the establishment calling the cops on them.

The duo appeared on Roland Martin Unfiltered and explained why they demand a “formal apology” and refund from DoveCote, a French-inspired eatery in downtown Orlando, the Atlanta Black Star reported.

During the interview, Tolbert said she initially made the reservation for a group of five on OpenTable in August. The restaurant was known for its live entertainment, and she wanted to see the group Take 5 perform on Saturday evening.

Tolbert continued by stating the restaurant and staff should have informed them of a time limit for their table. Instead, one of the workers told the group they had to leave after dining for more than an hour and a half inside the establishment.

“When the hostess took us to our table when the waiter took our order, we were never given any kind of timeline, Tolbert said. “It was all just a surprise.”

The show obtained video footage of the incident, showing several police officers at the group’s table. Gantt told one of the officers they were enjoying their meal and paid for the bill after previous reports stated they refused to pay for it.

One officer advised the group to document the incident and contact management to resolve the issue.

“The police were very cordial. They were very nice,” Gantt said. “They even said to us that we will walk out first so that it doesn’t seem like we are escorting you out. However, because this is a private organization, we had to leave.”

Gantt’s wife, Heather, posted a video to X, formerly known as Twitter, and confirmed the restaurant had reserved their table for another incoming party.

“You don’t want to stay here. They just kicked us out because we stayed too long. They called the cops on us,” Heather said to another couple.

Tolbert said the “embarrassing” incident not only affected them but other Black families as well.

“It was just very humiliating,” Tolbert said. “ When we walked out to wait for the valet for the car, there was another family that had been approached by the event coordinator and told that they needed to leave as well. This wasn’t something that was just isolated to us. There were some other Black families that were impacted.”

The pair are currently reaching out to attorneys to help investigate the incident.

“The end result is, I would like a formal apology, number one,” Gantt said. “ I would like our money returned.”