The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission “FCCPC” has shut down the Chinese outlet, Haufei Restaurant & Mall, after Nigerians accused the restaurant of racial discrimination while attending to Nigerians at its location in Victoria Island, Lagos.
There have been complaints regarding the business model of the Chinese restaurant after a Nigerian complained that his experience while ordering at Haufei Restaurant was unpleasant. According to Nigerians, who shared their experience on Twitter, Nigerians were not allowed to dine in the restaurant; they could only get takeout, but Chinese were allowed.
Nairametrics learnt that the decision was made for blacks only while Chinese citizens were allowed to eat, “Today some of my friends and I were turned away at a Chinese restaurant in Nigeria for being black.
“We were told they only allow Chinese people to dine in and we’d have to take out to eat their food. What a world we live in. I said who said so, they said the chef. I asked to speak to the Chef who only speaks mandarin(I speak it as well). When I asked him he said sorry his boss who has travelled said non-Chinese people cannot dine in and it’s a recent policy,” a tweeter user said.
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Today some of my friends and I were turned away at a Chinese restaurant in Nigeria for being black. We were told they only allow Chinese people to dine in and we’d have to take out to eat their food. What a world we live in.
— Itunnu (@Itunnu_A) March 13, 2020
In response to the criticism from Nigerians, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) announced that the Haufei Restaurant had been shut down after observation because of their company policy.
“Today, FCCPC closed Haufei Restaurant & Mall 33 Aboyade Cole, VI based on credible intel & surveillance that the biz declines service to Nigerians. Staff of the biz admitted this is the policy & our operatives experienced same. Both now closed for further regulatory action.”
Today, FCCPC closed Haufei Restaurant & Mall 33 Aboyade Cole, VI based on credible intel & surveillance that the biz declines service to Nigerians. Staff of the biz admitted this is the policy & our operatives experienced same. Both now closed for further regulatory action. pic.twitter.com/UI7DLCNsoL
— FCCPC Nigeria (@fccpcnigeria) March 14, 2020
The Director-General of FCCPC also stated that, “There can’t be any acceptable reason to discriminate against any national, more so Nigerian in Nigeria. That we walked into a restaurant that openly declined service on account of our race is simply ludicrous. The only response to this openly outrageous conduct is interim closure”
There can’t be any acceptable reason to discriminate against any national, more so Nigerian in Nigeria. That we walked into a restaurant that openly declined service on account of our race is simply ludicrous. The only response to this openly outrageous conduct is interim closure
— Babatunde Irukera (@TundeIrukera) March 14, 2020