Restaurateur in race row over 'order in English' sign

A small sign that began an English-only ordering policy at a famous cheesesteak shop was compared to the dark days of US racial segregation at a discrimination hearing.

Joe Vento, the owner of Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia, defended his policy before the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, which filed the discrimination complaint.

“This country is a melting pot, but what makes it work is the English language,” Vento told the commission during a hearing that lasted more than six hours. “I’m not stupid. I would never put a sign out to hurt my business.”

In October 2005, Vento posted two small signs at his shop in a diverse South Philadelphia neighbourhood, telling customers: “This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ’PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.”

He said he put up the sign because of concerns over the debate on immigration reform and the increasing number of people from the area who could not order in English.

Camille Charles, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said Vento’s signs harkened back to the Jim Crow era of segregation when “Whites Only” postings were prevalent. She cited huge growth in the foreign born, Asian and Latino population in the area surrounding Geno’s from 1980 to 2007.

“The signs give a feeling of being unwelcome and being excluded,” Charles said.

After extensive publicity over the sign last June, the commission began investigating whether Vento was breaking the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance that forbids discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing on the basis of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

In February, the commission found probable cause against Geno’s Steaks for discrimination, saying the shop policy discouraged customers of certain backgrounds from eating there.

Paul Hummer, a lawyer for the commission, said yesterday that the sign was not about political speech but intimidation, suggesting business from certain individuals was not wanted.

The hearing was held at the Arch Street Meeting House, which was given to the Philadelphia Quakers by William Penn in 1693. The building is billed as a symbol of “tolerance, equality and peace”.

The three-member panel said no ruling was expected for at least two months.