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(Photo by Jeff Merlot – UrbanMilwaukee.com)
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Jim Neumeyer, the co-owner of Beans & Barley, offers an apology to Portia Cobb and anyone in the community who has experienced “profiling or feeling unsafe or unwelcome” at his establishment.
Hearing the story of Portia Cobb and other customers experiencing profiling or feeling unsafe or unwelcome at Beans & Barley is incredibly troubling and alarming to us.
For over 40 years we have taken pride in being an establishment that listens to, empowers and gives back to our diverse community. We aspire for our business to be a safe space for all who enter its doors. In hearing that our actions have led to any to feel otherwise, we are heartbroken.
We sincerely apologize to Portia and to any others for actions or dialogue that have made her or anyone feel as though they were being profiled or discriminated against. We at Beans want to let you know that we are hearing the concerns of our customers, past and present, and we are listening.
Some time has passed since the discussion began with Portia. However, please know that this has not been a time of inaction. Rather, it has been a time of processing and reflection on how to initiate change and lay the foundation for evolution in a business that has over 100 employees and operates in and benefits from a racially diverse community.
We hope that by taking the time to work through the initial situation with our staff and management we can now emerge with clarity and in a better position to outline a path forward. We have taken a hard look at ourselves after this incident and after hearing of concerns by others and have seen that we need to be far more mindful of how something that feels “routine” to us can still affect our customers in a negative way. We take this very seriously.
It has come to light that the major failure on our part is having a system of payment that fails to protect or insulate our customers and community members from any bias, microaggression or prejudice an employee may or may not have or may or may not be aware they are expressing. From these reflections we have increased the visibility of signage regarding payments, and the management has been reiterating the need for continuity of service for all customers.
We also have been initiating conversations with diversity-training groups in a hope to update and improve our methods to better serve our diverse community. We would never be in a position to say whether a negative interaction did or did not have a racial component. The experience of the trauma of racial injustice that so often happens in this country cannot be invalidated. What we can do as a business is to listen and empathize with our customers and try our hardest to make improvements so that the experience that Portia and some others have expressed are not repeated at our establishment.
Beans has always placed a high value on being a community-minded business that embraces diversity and fosters a safe environment for all of our community members, both among our staff and our customers. We are humbled and hope that by sharing our story we can be a catalyst for conversations about how businesses in Milwaukee can remain safe and inclusive for all, honoring the diversity that makes up our beautiful city.
So, we at Beans ask that our community of customers allows us the opportunity to earn back your trust, accept our apology and give us the opportunity to serve you once again and continue to be the place we have always aspired to be.
How to reach Beans & Barley
Any questions can be directed to jim@beansandbarley.com.
For the owner to apologize is fine, but 1) has the employee(s) that actually engaged in the profiling been instructed to apologize to the customer in question, and 2) if not…does that employee still work there? As far as I am aware that answer is no. If employees can behave in an unprofessional/racist manner without consequences why would anyone of color chose to spend their money there? I, myself have chosen to no longer spend my money there, and share my concerns with friends.
No, that employee still works there. As do others that are known to racially profile.
It has been many months since this issue started, at this point. Why is Beans and Barley only now initiating conversations with diversity training groups? These words feel empty and unattached to any real action. I see no reason that people of color should spend money at Beans and Barley. There is obviously no real remorse in this and I for one am taking my money elsewhere.
I as a woman of color do appreciate the owner’s apology. He is speaking from the point of an administrator of a business. It is not necessary for the employee to say a word. He is leading by example and I am most certain that this incident has been addressed with staff and will continue to be a focus of good customer service throughout Beans and Barley.
Time will tell….
Wow…This use to be me and my wife favorite meeting place. I will never support this place again! Such a disgrace to our urban community.
Wow, some of you people are so unforgiving!! I’m sorry that the person that is being addressed has done some sort or racial profile, but you’re not setting any better example by not forgiving and blacklisting an establishment you’ve always enjoyed. ?
Apologies are great! Evidently you read all the complaints and concerns and probably had too many to deny. I love the food and my place of employment has used for catering in the past ….. pending whether or not I put you in the caterer folder. Again, money is green and businesses should remember that when dealing with customers black or otherwise.
I read this statement, then went back to to Ms. Cobb’s posting.
I have no doubt that she was racially profiled.
I am disappointed that what Mr. Neumeyer has written seems too little too late.
I would have liked to see a clear definition of the payment policy right here, on this page for all of us to to read, not:
” From these reflections we have increased the visibility of signage regarding payments, and the management has been reiterating the need for continuity of service for all customers.”
I want to hear a strong and definitive statement that staff be trained to be consistent, courteous and there will be consequences if those policies are not followed.
There must be zero tolerance for this sort of bigotry.
I am sure Mr. Neumeyer is sorry, just not quite convinced of what he is sorry for.
Amen.
Amen. He is sorry alright.
What’s next? When I read the apology, I kept asking myself that question. How many people of color does this establishment have in leadership roles? What about being a beacon for diversity? holding public gatherings to encourage diverse voices to come together? Given the time delay, my feelings are that Beans did feel the pinch of so many people feeling let down by an establishment that we all thought was different, an establishment that we thought held itself to higher standards, an establishment we thought was a safe zone for all. A lesson in capitalism, money will bend to the masses. To me, after the length of time and especially the lack of original follow through with Portia, it all seems shallow. Perhaps they thought, “What can one quiet, mild-mannered woman do to our business? We have a loyal customer base.” People probably that about Rosa Parks as well. For now, for me, there are a ton of other options for healthy dining experiences in Milwaukee. Think I’ll exercise my freedom to spend money at Tandem or any number of other establishments that are more responsive to the community they serve.
I agree.
Like everyone, I was saddened when I first heard about this many months ago. I called and talked to one of the owners to let them know of my concerns. They let me know the steps they planned to take and I have been in contact with them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but if the opinion is not based on all the facts then obviously their opinion is surely skewed In this case I do not believe many people know all the facts, and this is clearly one of the failures of social media. I do know the steps they have taken, and believe they are genuine and sincere. I will not correct the many untrue statements people have made over the last several months and I personally will not be part of a campaign to hurt a locally owned and operated business, especially one that has done so much for the community as a whole for many decades.. I think that is just sad and wrong. We the community have a responsibility to help with this too, not to hurt and also to forgive people who have done wrong.
I think the continued blow back is because the issue become so public and wide spread and the response has been so quiet and internal. PR fail, yes! As Jim wrote, they will have to earn the trust back. It’s hard to do that if they remain silo-ed and quiet about their efforts. They could be using this as a teaching lesson for the community, an opportunity to embrace the diversity in our city and build bridges.
To me, it’s not as simple as having a phone call and hearing words. If you recall, Portia also had a private discussion with management and then they went mute for months and suggested they did not need or want her involvement. As for supporting local businesses, as I mentioned, there are plenty of local businesses that need and deserve support.
Karen, your post is dishonest at best. I’m not sure if your were told this or just making this stuff up but it’s really not helping when you spread these lies.
What is dishonest? The PR fail? The lack of public action and/or the length of time to respond? That they will have to work to regain trust? The fact that there are other options in the community? Jay, this is my opinion. It is how I feel. My feelings are dishonest? You are entitled to your own opinion and feelings and I will not call you a liar.
I hope they get it right. As someone else stated, time will tell.
Hi Karen, I am not critiquing or criticizing your opinions(s). They are yours and cannot be wrong. But you also made statements of fact which are not true and are actually just the opposite, but it’s hard to discern intent regarding the statements. And so I was wrong to call you a liar and for that I apologize; this is a public forum and that was not proper.
Jay, You tell me you are sorry and that you won’t call me a liar and then you say I made statements of fact that were not true – basically again calling me a liar. This seems to me (again, my opinion and how your apology honestly made me feel) like a prime example of an apology made with an intent to save one’s own face rather than an apology that is sincere. No wonder we are in such a sorry state as a community! Let’s just agree that we do not see eye to eye on this issue and call it at that.
My read of this apology-is that is it quite unremarkable to have taken so long. I decided that when I write my Op-Ed, that I have nothing to prove to Nay-sayers. To constantly be asked to repeat in detail what happened and to have my experience scrutinized by those who question my motivation for making this public, based on one sided conversations with the establishment-is absurd. The half has not been told. My experience is not a singular one and it doesn’t matter how one experience of profiling differs from what one imagines it to be. I thank those who have stood in solidarity toward public acknowledgement of a climate of Subtle but sure inequity and express their disappointment with time it took to get this far. Still unremarkable in that the language is measured. Use of the words “feeling” and “felt” still serves up a sentiment of dismissiveness and invalidation. In making my experience public, I was placed at risk-they were not. The owner originally agreed to a public statement, then did nothing. I was left wide open for supremacist sentiment sent with with glee to my email and within a thread of comments. I ask, Is this a matter of one bad apple or an entire orchard?! Overt or covert? Time always tells.
Just so we’re clear, you’ve personally met with the owner, received their side of the story, received a personal apology, claimed you didn’t want to hurt the business, backed up and applauded every person who wanted to boycott it, asked for a public apology, got one delivered, but after picking apart the public apology, you’ve found that two words don’t measure up and it took longer than you had hoped, but also decided that you’ve done no damage. Got it.
Ms. Sue,
Carry on.
Correction: ”When I wrote…”
Do better. Discrimination is still happening in real time. See Ck Ledesma’s comment about their experience just recently. B&B was where I referred my vegan and vegetarian family and friends to eat. No more.
If bad service at a restaurant or other place of business equals racial intent, then I guess I’m being profiled everywhere I go. Sad way to look at the world.
Not clear why Portia Cobb is referred to by her first name in the statement from the owner. To me it does seem disrespectful. Did she agree to be addressed as “Portia,” as it seems to me that Ms. Cobb would have been more appropriate. Only using Ms. Cobb’s first name smacks of continuing dismissiveness – and continuing insincerity – which adds to the problematic nature of this so-called apology.
I think it brings a note of sincerity and personalization to the apology. It’s no secret who she is, it sounds they’ve met personally multiple times, and she’s been coming in for decades, surely to have been recognized by the owners and staff. Ms. Cobb sounds colder and less personal for an apology to a highly-personal issue, and nobody is criticizing anyone for using the owner’s first name. This is a community response, and I think it’s appropriate to have a personal touch included in a public statement.
Long time customer, just now seeing these posts, well after the fact. I know Portia and some of the commenters, and have experienced many variations of this inconsistently-applied, onerous check-out method at the deli and the cash register myself. The lack of consistency is not limited to black customers, it has happened to me (older white person), but that does not mean that some black customers have not been profiled! Assertive white women get profiled at Beans, too, I can attest – for expecting not to have to wait forever for a simple take-out order when asking how things were going — there seems to be a resistance to any kind of question of the process, instead of customer service being way at the top of the heap for what all employees should achieve. This is a management issue.
As a long-time resident but non-native Wisconsinite, I can say it’s part of the ethos in this state. I am sure black people experience it a lot and why wouldn’t they feel singled out in the situation that Prof. Cobb described? I would also like to add that Portia is a wise person who is not thin skinned. What was discussed early on as a REMEDY (isn’t that what we need here?) was organized training of the employees and some outreach to the community. In other words, more effective management. Call in a business practice expert who can help you.
It does not do any good to “handle it internally” — it will just keep happening. Put procedures in place that do not set up for failure. If someone orders something from the deli and has other groceries, let them pay for everything ALL IN ONE PLACE. Figure it out. I have experienced multiple ad hoc variations of this current protocol at the deli/grocery there, and it is ridiculous.
It’s sad, because B & B does a lot of good things and has, in my opinion, dealt with regular panhandlers vs. aggressive panhandlers discerningly, without hammering on the people who hang around outside. They are trying to strike a balance between the customers and panhandlers — not easy. Also, I want to be clear the employees try hard and get things right for the most part. Maybe they are getting unclear or mixed messages from managers?
In the end, the customer is always right and will walk if you cannot see the perceptions of favoritism in your process and smash them down. As a customer, I do not want to be in a shop where everyone is wondering what the deal is — and is tense. Keep it simple, with everything. Your deli pay system is terrible. I would like to not have to stop in two places. Why can’t I pay for all groceries at the deli if I buy something from the deli??? Reconfigure the deli to have a proper check out space with a flat scale and a surface for the check out process, and a person, and bags, and get on with it.
In the meantime, reach out more visibly to the community, and that means everyone. We all want this nonsense to stop.
And if you are not sure about what I described as a Wisconsin attitude, I suggest you hire an expert and do a focus group with non-natives who have lived here for decades and still cannot believe the level of shaming and blaming in the public discourse here, and the utter intolerance of anyone who raises a question about the status quo.
Wisconsin is a special microcosm all its own.
Keep on, get better.