When Great White Isn't So Great

Great White, a California-based restaurant chain, has recently faced allegations of racial discrimination against the Asian-American community following a viral video in late September.

The restaurant Great White is well-known for its Pinterest-esque atmosphere and incredible menu items. The Australian-influenced all-day café is owned by Sam Trude and Sam Cooper. The first location opened in Venice in 2017, and following its immediate success in Venice, Great White opened a second location in Larchmont in 2021. Now, the brand has expanded to West Hollywood, with many more locations in the works.

As the popularity of Great White has grown – especially on social media platforms such as Tik Tok – so have the allegations surrounding Trude and Cooper’s true intentions with the restaurant. 

The restaurant began to face heat after Cassidy Cho posted a video on instagram September 28th, that showed Asian-Americans all seated in one corner of the West Hollywood location. The video reached 1.9 million views on her Tik Tok and was reposted and reported on by NBC Los Angeles, gaining another 12.5 million views and almost 900,000 likes. 

Cassidy Cho’s viral TikTok alleged that Great White was intentionally seating Asian-American customers in the back corners of the restaurant. (Photograph: Inkl)

In addition, the NBCLA post was flooded with comments – some experiencing the same thing as Cho and sharing that they also had been discriminated against for their identities as Hispanic and Latino. One comment shared that “My friends and I (Asians) were sat at the corner near the restroom at Great White Melrose and at the bar at Great White Larchmont.” Other comments mocked the restaurant, saying “It’s called great white for a reason” and “not a victim but ‘great white’, sounds like a restaurant I would personally never attend”. 

This controversy has impacted not only the general public but especially Asian-Americans in California — it has surprised many that a well-known, beloved restaurant could engage in such discriminatory acts. 

“Though I’ve never eaten at Great White, it was really hard for me to watch the video and learn about this controversy. I think the reason it’s impacting our community so much is that this is not the first time something like this has happened – it just happened to be reported on,” said Takara Deal, co-president of the Asian Student Union. 

Deal’s experience with this controversy isn’t unique. At a recent Asian Student Union meeting, members discussed the video and the reports on it. There was a general consensus that members are upset that this alleged racism is still occurring in our world, especially in such blatant ways.

Behind the aesthetic tables and instagram-worthy plates, community members are left feeling uncertain and unwelcome. Because a true community isn’t built on aesthetics but rather it’s built on respect and belonging. Hopefully moving forward, there will be an open seat (at the center tables) for everyone regardless of their race.