Ozumo was one of my favorite little places for lunch until I had a couple of negative dining experiences here. Even after ‘bearing’ with them (just to make sure) beyond my comfort level, the last time was the last straw for me. I went here for lunch one day while I was pregnant…. Aka: the state of perpetual starvation. I was asked upon arrival, how many were in my party. I said one, just me. I waited to be seated, with the hostess approaching me to ask again, how many are dining with me…. Again, I stated that I was dining alone.   I had my magazine in hand and was waiting to be seated, clearly a party of one. The restaurant is HUGE, with many sections, AND it was not full, so I am wondering why it was taking so long for them to seat me. I am finally seated, and the waiter whisks past my table to table to make sure that all of the business men who were dining for lunch were attended to. He whisks past again, this time nodding in my direction that he sees me, and will return shortly to help. I am sitting there for a good ten minutes before I am checked on. No water, no drink menu. I am now flagging him down to ask for an iced green tea. I have had it before and was looking forward to how refreshing it is. The iced tea comes with free refills which should have made it easy. Besides, I would have happily paid for more since I was out to enjoy myself at one of my favorite restaurants.

My lunch was delivered to me AFTER everyone in my section received theirs, even though I had arrived much earlier than some folks. I was the only black person dining at the time for lunch, as I was surrounded by the downtown office folks who take their lunch breaks together. At this point I am wondering ‘where is my food?’, and ‘why is it taking so long to arrive?’. My server, a small Japanese man, sped past me over and over, without checking in on me once. I was pregnant, and hungry, and I had to get out of my seat to flag him down once for a refill on my iced tea, then second to inquire about my meal, since I saw that he had prioritized every one else’s meal & time above mine. I am livid by the time that my food arrives, but I am finally happy to be relieved of my starvation, so I am determined to overlook all of the oversights on their part, in the name of ‘enjoying my meal in peace’. The whole time I am eating, I am watching my server move quickly to attend to the business men around me, and not once consider what the pregnant lady might need. My bento box meal was kind of light, and I wanted to stay for desert. I watch my server hand desert menus to every one around me, asking them if they would like desert. He then approaches me with the check. I tell him that I would like to get desert. He looks at me blankly, rolls his eyes, then heads over to grab a desert menu for me.

Now I am feeling pretty sure that this is another experience of table side racism, and I vow to myself that I will speak with a manager once I am done with my green tea ice cream. My waiter is now bumbling as he brings me the updated check now. He hovers over me to make sure that I pay. Out of the whole time I am in his section to be served, this is the first time he slows down, which is his attempt to intimidate me to hurry up and pay. I pay only for my food in cash, and ask to speak with the manager. He sends over this tall hulky black man in a suit to ‘handle’ me, as he is now upset that he didn’t get a tip. I explained to the manager that my server was neglectful, even rude, and how he catered to everyone around me but me. I explained that I was brought the bill while everyone else was brought the desert menu. I can tell that he is not listening, he was just brought in to the situation to make it look like, if they have black staff that no table side racism could occur. On the contrary because I walked out of there feeling like I had been disregarded upon arrival, and just barely tolerated until my exit. I have NOT been back to Ozumo since then. My last experience there left such a bad taste in my mouth that I am giving this restaurant only 2 forks ( for food and atmosphere). Their staff appears to be diverse, but my last few dining experiences here have been less than equitable and very unpleasant, to say the least.