Restaurant forced to close over ‘Ladies' Night’ gender discrimination lawsuit
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A restaurant in California has announced it will be shuttering its doors after settling a “frivolous” gender discrimination lawsuit over its “Ladies’ Night” promotion.
Lima Restaurant, in East Bay, California, took to social media and posted a sign on its door letting patrons know of the sad news, KGO reported.
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“We are deeply grateful to our loyal customers who have supported us throughout the years,” the Peruvian establishment wrote. “Your patronage has meant the world to us, and we are proud of the community we built together.”
The restaurant eatery cited its inability to “fully recover from the recent discrimination lawsuit related to our ladies’ night discount.”
They said increasing operational costs and high inflation also factored in to the closure.
Chef and owner John Marquez told the outlet that they haven’t been able rebound from the tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees spent on the suit over discounting drinks for women during “Ladies’ Night.”
“It’s a frivolous lawsuit that took us down,” Marquez said. “It’s just ambulance-chasing lawyers.”
The promotion had been going on for years, but Marquez said his family believes they were targeted by people who aren’t local and want to take advantage of California’s laws intended to promote equity, KRON reported.
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“With restaurants, the profit margins are razor-thin, and stuff like this does not help business at all,” Marquez said.
Lima’s regular customers said they will miss it, including John Dias, who disagreed with the lawsuit: “Promoting one gender does not discriminate against one gender.”
His companion, Mel Ludehese, added: “Hello, I’m a lady. If I want to go out with the girls, it doesn’t seem like a rude thing to do.”
The restaurant’s last day of business is Dec. 31.
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