LA restaurant Great White accused of segregating Asian diners

A viral video posted by a content creator last week has drawn scrutiny to Los Angeles restaurant Great White after she alleged that Asian customers were seated together in one corner while non-Asian diners filled the main area. The clip, filmed by Cassidy Cho at the restaurant’s Melrose location, has fueled public concern about potential racial bias in seating practices.

In the video, Cho films the restaurant and says, “I don’t know if it’s just me, but they put all the Asians in one corner.” She points out that “it’s all white people in the main seating area,” later adding, “They really put us all in one corner.” Cho followed up by noting that “another corner [was] filled with Asians too.” Her posts on TikTok and Instagram have been viewed millions of times and sparked widespread discussion among Asian American diners.

Under Cho’s post, users shared similar claims, with a commenter writing, “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.” Another said, “My boyfriend is Korean and they put us on the corner both times we went.” Others mocked the restaurant’s name, with one viral comment reading, “Not the name of this restaurant being the Great WHITE lol.”

Several users pointed to past Yelp reviews describing comparable treatment. One reviewer wrote, “Discriminated, racist against Asians,” while another said, “The chain operates with racism towards Asians. Spend your money elsewhere.” A longer post titled A Request for Clarification Amidst Staggering Allegations urged management to explain “the practice of seating all Asian customers in one specific corner of the restaurant.” Yelp later paused new reviews, citing increased public attention while it verified the content.

As Great White remains silent on the allegations, content creator Ed Choi (@etchaskej) analyzed reviews and employee accounts from its Los Angeles locations. “It’s not a one-off, it’s a pattern of behavior of racial discrimination against Asian people,” Choi said, citing reports of slower service for Asian and Black diners and limited staff diversity.

Choi also examined Gran Blanco, a former sister restaurant in Venice operated by Great White co-founders Sam Trude and Sam Cooper. He said past employees alleged that one of the owners instructed managers “not to let too many Black people in because they didn’t want the place to get ghetto and trashy.” Choi said such reports and employee reviews describing “very white favoritism” suggest the issue may extend beyond a single location.