The Dallas restaurant owner who went viral for cursing out his customers over a twerking incident says business js booming.
Kevin Kelley, owner of True Kitchen + Kocktails, tells TMZ that his anti-twerking speech has had a positive impact on his eatery. TheGrio previously reported, Kelley was filmed yelling at Black female patrons who were twerking and dancing on the furniture. In the clip, he makes clear that he is running a restaurant, not a club.
Kelley caught major heat across social media from users who condemned his tone and questioned his appreciation of Black women. He also had plenty of sympathizers who thought his actions were justified.
READ MORE: Dallas owner tells patrons ‘get the f–k out my restaurant’ for twerking in viral video
He responded to the critics and outrage in a lenghty message posted to Instagram. After the initial social media backlash, Kelley says his business has been inundated with dine-in requests.
“I’m glad the public has had a chance to decide what they do and don’t want in their restaurants. The effect on our restaurant has been overwhelmingly positive,” Kelley told TMZ.
The restauranteur has received local support amid the controversy, including former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver Dez Bryant, who is a Texan native.
“We’ve received an outpouring of support that we did not anticipate online and in person. This lets us know the public believes in our vision for the restaurant and they will support a concept working to fill a void in our communities,” Kelley told the gossip website.
In the twerking video, Kelley is heard telling patrons, “I invested a lot of money into buying this building, into developing this concept so Black people could have somewhere nice to go to.” He goes on to tell the women to take their twerking to other establishments.
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“I want em to show respect for themselves for how they carry themselves here, so how can I tell the men to respect themselves and you guys are twerking glass here. If you want to do it, fu** out of my restaurant,” he continued.
TRUE Kitchen + Kocktails prides itself by serving Southern comfort food like fried chicken and waffles, lobster tails, and shrimp and grits in an upscale setting.
Its “kocktails,” however, are anything but Southern. The drinks are crafted and inspired by popular cities such as New York City, Paris, and Los Angeles fused with some Southern traits.
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