GREENSBORO, N.C. — A restaurant in Greensboro has put a dress code on its front door. The windows on and around the door read phrases like 'no skimpy clothes of any kind,' 'no crop tops,' 'do not enter if you have on shorts,' and 'no leggings.'
The business, Kim's Kafe, posted the dress code on its Facebook page and it caused a lot of chatter. There are thousands of comments and hundreds of shares.
The owner of the business released this statement on social media in response:
Now that I have everyone’s attention! I’m working for the Lord God. Thank you all for helping to bless Kims Kafe in trying to be mean. I DO NOT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS ABOUT THIS BUSINESS and I L❤️VE each and everyone of you and none of you can do anything about the love I have for you ALL…. Keep talking good or bad free advertisement is what you all have been blessing this business with and it’s working. That’s how GOD works… you all are blessing this business with some beautiful NEW customers. I do not wear my feelings on my shoulders to STRONG IN THE LORD GOD for that. Remember I L❤️VE you all have a blessed and beautiful 👋🏼😘❤️
WFMY News 2 spoke with an attorney to ask if a business can tell you what you can or can't wear.
"And the answer to that is absolutely. A business owner can refuse service or refuse to allow patrons into their business for any reason at all that they define, as long as it's not discriminatory," said David Daggett of Daggett Shuler Law.
Daggett points to Title Seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which says it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against someone because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
"The example I've used before when my kids asked me about this is, I don't like people who wear blue shirts. If I don't want people in my business that wear blue shirts, I can do that as long as I'm refusing everybody with blue shirts, not selecting people based on a discriminatory basis," said Daggett.
But it's more than just clothes. If a private business wants to require that only cash is used or that no cell phones are allowed to be used while you're in their business, they can.
"It covers virtually anything. Now, the truth of the matter is, is most businesses want customers. So most good businesses are pretty reasonable about that. But they're also trying to keep the quality and character of their business to the way they define it," said Daggett.
As a customer, your recourse is to spend money there or not.