I was at finefare supermarket located in Bronx, N.Y. I was approaching the meat section to have an order filled (fine fare has a butcher that fills orders and they also have a self serve meat section) while I approached I made eye contact with the butcher and gestured at him to let him know that I was coming to order meat, at the same time i noticed that no one else was waiting to be served. I thought it was great know one else was waiting to be served because there's usually a line. Anyway, I reach the counter and begin to say what I want, the butcher is no longer acknowledging me, about 2 seconds after I arrive at the counter a Hispanic young lady starts speaking to him in spanish, he's talking to her and he gives her a small package (an order she had filled before, I'm guessing) I'm thinking to my self that what he did was rude because I was there first but I don't say anything. OK, she goes and again I begin to try and place my order, when another Hispanic woman comes to the counter they begin talking to each other in spanish and again the butcher begins to fill this womans order before mine.By this time I'm really upset, so I say to him that I was here first, and this is the second time you've done this to me, I ask the butcher why he filled those two womens orders before mine, he just smiles, I ask him is it because I'm African American and those women are Hispanic (the butcher is Hispanic) he smiles and fidgets a bit but still continues to fill this womans order. I tell him what he is doing is discrimination and I can file a complaint against the supermarket and even sue him. I then ask him where is the manager. I walk to the front of the supermarket and speak to the manager. At first the manager tries to brush me off, until I asked him if it was fine fares policy to discriminate against their customers and I was going to file a complaint with the proper agency, the manager then became very helpful, he told me no, fine fares policy is first come first served. He then called the butcher on the phone (they spoke in spanish) the manager then told me to go back to the meat department and the supervisor of the meat department would fill my order. The supervisor of the meat department filled my order. As I was leaving I noticed that a video camera faces the butchers' station and the whole incident was on film (this could come in handy if I decide to persue this case).
One last thing about this supermarket, every single person employeed at this location is Hispanic.in an area where all of the residents and shoppers are African American and Hispanic I find it curious indeed that Fine Fare employs no ethnicity but Hispanic.
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