African-American employee theft causes bar to close

Duffie Dixon:

On the outskirts of Snellville sits Houston's Finest Sports Bar and Cigar Lounge, its doors now chained shut with a sign many residents find offensive: “Closed Due to African American Continuous Employee Theft.”

Cynthia Quarterman is outraged, in part because her 15-year-old son will soon join the workforce.

“The concern is will every employer say ‘look, here’s an African-American male. Will he be stealing?’” Quarterman said.

The owner of the club, the one who wrote the sign, is himself African-American.

The business license was granted to J.L. Menafee of Snellville. A myspace.com page has a profile of the place when it was open, claiming it had a clientele that was primarily African-American.

Deborah Fuller came here often. She said Menatee complained openly his employees were stealing from him.

“I think his anger probably got the best of him, and sometimes we act inappropriately out of anger,” Fuller said.

Also on the doors was a promise that a new location is coming soon, though there is no word yet as to where that location will be. Efforts to contact Menatee were unsuccessful.

BLACK BUSINESS OWNER TELLS THE WORLD HE'S SICK OF BLACK EMPLOYEE THEFT: IS THAT RACIST?