Geno's Steaks wins. "When ordering please speak English" sign stays.
Some people really got their asses in an uproar over this, almost to the point of comparing it to "Whites only" signs of segregation. This was simply a political statement from the grandson of immigrants who spoke Italian. They'll even teach you how to say the magic words when you order. They don't want to turn customers away, they want them to appreciate this nation. If I visited some eatery in Italy I wouldn't expect them to speak English and it wouldn't bother me if they coached me on how to order in Italian.
The owner of a famous cheesesteak shop did not discriminate when he posted signs telling customers "This is America: WHEN ORDERING 'PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH,'" a three-member city panel ruled Wednesday.
In a 2-1 vote, the Commission on Human Relations panel found that the two signs at Geno's Steaks do not violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance. Shop owner Joe Vento posted them than two years ago because of concerns over immigration reform and the increasing number of people from the area who could not order in English.
Vento said he has never refused service to anyone because they couldn't speak English, but critics argued that the signs discourage customers of certain backgrounds from eating at the shop. The panel issued its ruling three months after a December public hearing in which one critic called the signs a reminder of the Jim Crow era.
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