A former bartender has drawn attention online after posting a video alleging that bars where she worked on Long Island deliberately drove away Black customers, including by canceling a popular weekly promotion that she said had become one of the busiest nights of the week.
The woman, who posts on TikTok under the handle @samcantshutup, said in the video that she spent years working at an Irish pub and at other bars in the region, and that managers and owners repeatedly told her that attracting Black patrons was bad for business.
“Racism is actually pretty normal, um, in the service industry, at least on Long Island,” she says at the opening of the video. “And I’m gonna give you a story to illustrate that. Not normal to me, but normal as in common.”
She said the story began when she was hired at an Irish pub where she worked “for many, many years as a bartender.”
“And when I was kind of first starting out there, like, I was still pretty green. I didn’t really feel like I was established there,” she said. “Um, we had this night called Wing Night. It was on Wednesday nights. We had wing and beer deals, and it was slammed busy every single week. It was, like, our best money night. And we had a DJ.”
The promotion was popular enough, she said, that she had wanted to attend before she was old enough to drink legally.
“Like, I remember before I worked there, like, this was the reason why my friend and I got fake IDs, just so we could go to wing night, right?” she said. “And so when I got put to work on wing night, I was so excited, and I started making crazy money, and I was like, this is awesome.”
She said the music gradually shifted over time.
“And then slowly but surely, like, the DJ would play, like, pop and, you know, today’s hits and some, some hip hop, but not too much,” she said. “And then slowly, he started playing a little more hip hop, and then maybe mixing in, like, a little bit more rap, you know, like, over the weeks, years, whatever. And I guess, apparently there were more Black customers.”
She said she did not notice the change at the time because business was strong. “But I didn’t really notice I was making tons of money,” she said.
According to her account, management first eliminated the DJ.
“And so I remember one night, my manager came up and he was like, just so you know, there’s no DJ tomorrow for wing night. And I was like, what? And he was like, yeah, we’re not doing a DJ. And he just walks away,” she said. “And I’m like, cool, thanks for the explanation. We’re not gonna make as much money, so there’s no DJ. Obviously people aren’t dancing, not making as much money. Kind of sucked. Whatever.”
Weeks later, she said, the promotion was scrapped entirely.
“He tells me, um, yeah, we’re canceling wing night,” she said. “And I’m like, why? And he’s like, it’s getting a little too dark. It’s getting a little too dark in here. And I’m like, I don’t know what that means. Ha ha. Um. And so he canceled it.”
The bar replaced the event with a country music line dancing night, she said, which she described as far less profitable.
“Then worst part was he replaced it with a country music line dancing night,” she said. “And these people, let alone not tipping, they didn’t even order. They just came up to the bar and got f—ing ice waters every five minutes before they went back to their little, like, country western line dancing thing. Super nice people, but not making any money from them.”
She said she eventually pressed a co-worker for an explanation.
“And at a certain point, I asked one of my co-workers, cause I’m pissed now, and I’m not making as much money. I’m not making any money. And I’m like, why? Why? Why? After however many years of this successful wing night, why do we get rid of it,” she said. “And he tells me, um, it got a little too dark in here. And I’m like, can you f—ing use your words like a normal person? I don’t know what that means. And he’s like, there were too many Black people, it’s not good for business.”
She said the co-worker delivered the explanation without hesitation.
“And he says it just so matter-of-fact, like, like I’m an idiot for not knowing it. And I was like, excuse me? Like, what did you just say?” she said. “And he’s like, yeah, it’s pretty well known, okay? And like the restaurant industry, like, it’s not good for business.”
She acknowledged the surrounding community was predominantly white but said she viewed the crowds as a business success.
“And listen, yeah, this was a pretty white area. But the fact, in my mind, the fact that we’re having all these Black people come in is a good thing,” she said. “Cause it’s like, look, people are coming from out of town just to be here for this night. Why are we not happy about this? And it’s not like they were like they were great customers, never an issue. Fine paying customers, having fun, tipping, like no issues whatsoever.”
She contrasted the two crowds directly.
“Meanwhile these f—ing country western people aren’t even buying s—,” she said. “And I remember just being so blown away. Like, why would we want to not have these Black customers that are coming from out of town, bringing their friends, buying s—, staying for hours, tipping the bartenders? Why would we want to replace them with these cheap country western folk who literally just come here and dance and maybe order one appetizer to split between the f—ing 50 of them. Why?”
She said she later raised the matter with the bar’s owner.
“And so eventually I asked the, the boss and I’m like, can you tell me, like, is this true? Like, why did we get rid of wing night?” she said. “And he’s like, yeah, no, there. I mean, Sam, you had to have noticed it was getting dark in here. That’s not good for business. And I was like, you know what? This is insane.”
She said the owner told her the practice was industry-wide.
“And he says like, you’re new in this industry, you’re gonna hear this at any bar you work at, I promise you. And I thought he was just bull——- me. And I was like, yeah, right. He’s just probably a racist prick,” she said. “No. Every f—ing bar I ever worked at on Long Island, same thing. Same thing. There was a DJ. And Black people started coming in. They would tell the DJ, oh, don’t play that music.”
She also described a policy at a bar in Patchogue involving a cognac brand.
“One bar I worked at in Patchogue was like, we don’t sell Hennessy anymore,” she said. “I’m like, oh, why? Cause it’s a Black drink. And they’re like, yeah.”
She closed the video with a warning to viewers.
“So just, just a heads up if you’re on Long Island as a bartender, and I’m, I’m sorry, if you are on Long Island and you’re Black, cause it’s f—ed up,” she said. “And I, it took me years to really, like, understand that. Like, no, this is how these people, like, this is the way it is. F—ing ridiculous. But that’s Long Island for you.”
The post Former Bartender’s TikTok Alleges Long Island Bars Push Out Black Customers: ‘We Don’t Sell Hennessy Anymore. Cause It’s a Black Drink’ appeared first on Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & Morero.
