Pittsburgh Panera franchises accused of racial and gender discrimination (Lebanon: sales, home)

[Tirade]

Sam Covelli, the owner of most of Western PA's Panera franchises, has been accused of pushing a policy that allows only young, pretty white women to man the cash registers. There are reports that black employees were told to go work in the back while Covelli came to visit so as not to **** him off. Two separate lawsuits (one in 2003, the other more recent) have accused him of this, so this doesn't appear to be an isolated incident.

Fired Panera Bread Manager: They Wanted 'Pretty Young Girls' - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh
Panera Bread
Panera faces lawsuit by former employee | The Pitt News (http://pittnews.com/newsstory/panera-faces-lawsuit-by-former-employee/ - broken link) [about the 2003 lawsuit]

[Love2Golf09]

This is a major blow to the enlightened tolerant lefties of Mt. Lebo. Thankfully, they still have Trader Joes, otherwise they'd starve to death.

[zip95]

Lol... It's definitely true... In the Eastern suburbs its possible to occasionally see a young pretty black girl... But I dont recall ever seeing a fugly or a fatty. Jk

But how is this different from anywhere. Go downtown and try to find a bald 5'2" executive. Have you ever seen an ugly cheerleader? How about an obese sales person at a department store? Ever wonder why most of the penn dot (8 men to dig a hole) employees are white... They should file suit. Its the reason equality laws exist... It's just the world the world works.

[I_Like_Spam]

Hooters doesn't hire men to wait tables and Blush doesn't hire men to dance either.

People can eat at home, Panera and other restaurant outfits are just employing a strategy to make it pleasant for them to eat out.

Hooters and Blush are doing their best to provide incentive for people to have some drinks in their establishment instead of stopping by the state store and drinking at home.

If Panera's business strategy is illegal, so are these other outfits'.

[ferraris]

So far every response to this post has completely ignored the allegations of racism. I guess I can live with Panera wanting to hire upbeat attractive people, or even specifically females, but basing it on race is just disgusting if it is true.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by ferrarisnowday

So far every response to this post has completely ignored the allegations of racism. I guess I can live with Panera wanting to hire upbeat attractive people, or even specifically females, but basing it on race is just disgusting if it is true.

I don't think there is anything to the "race" allegation.

I've been to the Centre Ave. Panera, and patrons are just as likely to be waited on by an attractive black girl as anyone else at that store.

Mt. Lebanon has a relatively small African American population, as a result, they don't have as many African Americans working in any of the retail establishments out that way than in the East End.

[hinsey86]

I find the remarks to the article more interesting than the article itself.

[KingKrab]

Dairy Queen seems to only hire females in their late teens. I would prefer a fat balding guy in his late 30s making me my blizzard.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by KingKrab

Dairy Queen seems to only hire females in their late teens. I would prefer a fat balding guy in his late 30s making me my blizzard.

Looks like you'll just have to buy your ice cream at Wal-mart and make your frozen treat at home for the time being.

If you think there are a lot of people with similar thoughts as yourself, maybe you can open up your own ice cream shop and make a million at it.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

...and Blush doesn't hire men to dance either.

I wish they did!