No shoes, no shirt, no service, was taken very literally by one Maryland restaurant who refused to serve a woman who was 7 months pregnant with twins, because of how she was dressed.
Charisha Gobin walked into Buzz Inn Steakhouse with her family Sunday night, wearing a black crop top T-shirt and a long white skirt.
"The waitress/bartender stopped us and said, 'I'm sorry, you can't be here in that shirt.' I said, "˜Are you being serious with me right now?' And she said, "˜Yep, you can't be here,'" Gobin said.
She was referring to the fact that her baby bump was not covered and that didn't abide by the restaurant's dress code.
Gobin was skeptical of this fact, though.
"Just because my belly was bigger and sticking out. But had it been anyone else, I don't think there would've been any problem whatsoever," she said.
After the incident, Gobin posted a picture of her wearing her 'offensive outfit' outside the restaurant on Facebook along with the caption: "I was just denied service at the Buzz Inn on State Avenue in Marysville for my outfit. I'm violating the health code." Here people rallied support behind the mom-to-be.
"This is awful, I cannot believe they turned you away," one user commented. "Denying a pregnant woman period is a violation," another said.
Speaking to the server off camera, KIRO 7 got and explaination for the restaurant's decision to deny service.
The establishment as a no shirt, no shoes, no service policy and that the top that Gobin was wearing didn't cover enough in order to count as a shirt.
Gobin disagrees.
"I was wearing a shirt, it had sleeves. I didn't even have cleavage showing," she said.
The pregnant mother, who already has 4 children, feels like she is being body shamed, and was forced to drive across town to a different place to eat, having no problems with the next restaurant.
While she may not be visiting that restauarnt again, she isn't letting the incident bother her.
"Our bodies aren't just toys, they're for a purpose and I think it's a beautiful purpose," she said.
Buzz Inn Washington corporate has issued a response saying:
"Statement: We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding and will cover with all staff as to how to not overly enforce a rule that is intended to make all guests feel comfortable. Our apologies for the misunderstanding. The server in question has been with our company and a great employee for almost 20 years and was trying to use her best judgement (sic) and by no means was trying to be demeaning to the guest again our sincere apology for misunderstanding."
They did not mention how the shirt violated the health code and whether that dress code applies to everyone visiting the restaurant.
Source: KIRO 7 / Yahoo.com / Daily Mail