Q:
A: It depends. You can contact the manager if the discrimination came from a waiter or waitress. Or you can write a formal complaint letter to the manager and to the complaints office if it is a chain retaurant. If there is a pervasive pattern that occurs with lots of different people (such as was the case with Denny's a few years back or Cracker Barrell) you can try your local branch of some sort of civil rights organization such as the NAACP - they might be able to point you in the right direction. And of course, there is always the Better Business Bureau. I totally disagree with SaturnMan because he was quick to make assumptions (that you received rude service, that you aren't a white male, etc.) and to say how sick he was of hearing about discrimination. People don't only discriminate racially, but sometimes because of sexual orientation, class, color (even if people are of the same race), gender, or ethnic background. He didn't ask any questions about what happened, why you feel discriminated against, etc. and he didn't really answer your question. Often people who haven't really experienced discrimination on a regular basis have no idea how demoralizing and degrading it is and thus are often flip when they answer questions. If you feel discriminated against, try to discuss it with the person higher up than the person who discriminated against you. Be firm but reasonable and open. Maintaining a professional composure as you make your complaint in person (or writing a formal letter) establishes the fact that you aren't some "rabble rouser" but rather are a paying customer that is about to walk out of the door never to return unless something is changed. I wish you all the best.