"Right to Refuse Service" signs are legal. Refusing service based on race, color, religion, or national origin is not legal.
What Conditions Allow a Restaurant to Refuse Service?
There a number of legitimate reasons for a restaurant to refuse service, some of which include:
- Patrons who are unreasonably rowdy or causing trouble
- Patrons that may overfill capacity if let in
- Patrons who come in just before closing time or when the kitchen is closed
- Patrons accompanied by large groups of non-customers looking to sit in
- Patrons lacking adequate hygiene (e.g. excess dirt, extreme body odor, etc.)
In most cases, refusal of service is warranted where a customer’s presence in the restaurant detracts from the safety, welfare, and well-being of other patrons and the restaurant itself.