ATLANTA — Atlanta Falcons star Grady Jarrett said he was denied service at an Atlanta restaurant over the way he was dressed Wednesday. The Pro Bowl defensive end said the restaurant misread his attire.
In an Instagram post, he noted he was about to have dinner at the Buckhead restaurant Le Bilboquet Atlanta, which just last year found itself in controversy over a similar incident where Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins was turned away as well. Wilkins said he felt the treatment had the whiff of racism. Jarrett said his treatment was rooted in ignorance.
"I like to dress up. I like to look good," Jarrett told 11Alive News at his Buckhead home Thursday. "So I dressed up and I was looking good."
Jarrett said he was wearing a $7,000 tailored-made casual Gucci garment when he was evicted from the restaurant. He described his unhappiness with the treatment in a post on Instagram. "I was taken aback for real," he told 11Alive News.
On Instagram, he showed off his attire for the evening; a bright green Gucci suit, Offshore watch, and "iced double tennis chain with an Ankh." He followed by noting the apparent dress of other patrons, who he said were simply wearing Nike sweatsuits and T-shirts – they can slightly be seen in the photo background as he points out.
The restaurant’s dress code said no to athletic attire, which Jarrett said, his garment was definitely not.
"You ever see someone working (out) in a full Gucci suit?" Garrett asked. "I’m an athlete."
11Alive asked if he could see why someone might misidentify such a garment as athletic wear, Jarrett responded: "No, I can’t. Especially when there were other people there dressed not up to that par."
He said it appeared the enforcement of the dress code was inconsistent.
The restaurant’s general manager said Le Bilboquet enforces a dress code because patrons like it. And he said the restaurant has loosened it since the incident with Dominique Wilkins.
"It’s not a decision based on race, gender, age, celebrity status or anything like that. It’s just something we have consistently across the board. And it’s been reduced quite a bit," Mark Theiss said.
He added that the restaurant regrets the dust-up with Jarrett and invited him to return.
"People got dress codes. You've got to abide by the rules. I don’t make the rules," Jarrett acknowledged. But, "For my suit to be classified as athletic wear under their discretion, I just didn’t think that was really fitting or correct. I may be wrong, but I’m not."
Jarrett said he’s not anxious to return to the restaurant – saying there are plenty of other restaurants that he knows will welcome him in whatever attire he chooses to wear.