Q Mex Respond to Video Purportedly Showing Staff Not Allowing Foreigners

[UPDATED: Mar 20, 2.40pm] This story has been updated to include a statement from the party who made the video.

As of Friday morning, a video showing an altercation between Q Mex staff and several customers was widely circulated on WeChat. The dispute reportedly occurred after one of the customers, in her words, overheard a member of staff say, "My boss told me not to let black people in." After two minutes of back and forth between the parties, the video turns tense as the staff advises the customers to leave, apparently trying to push them towards the door, a move which ends with one of the customers complaining, "Don't f**cking touch me." The footage stops once the customers apparently leave.

The video comes at a fraught time. Rumors abound of establishments not letting in foreigners and incidents of perceived xenophobia are on the rise as the number of coronavirus cases rise internationally and people return to Beijing. One widely shared image shows a sign in a restaurant window that reads "We do not accept foreign friends and people whose temperature is above 37.3 temporarily [sic]." Many falsely attributed that sign to Q Mex despite another sign on the window, also visible in the picture, clearly referring to hair cuts in Chinese – a service that Q Mex does not provide.

In response to these incidents, Q Mex released a statement on Friday morning in an attempt to put things straight. The statement goes into detail about current restrictions on customer numbers at their Sanlitun Courtyard 4 venue, where the aforementioned video appears to be shot, stating that if they exceed 15 people at any one time, they'll be, "shut down, period." The statement goes onto to say, "The coronavirus doesn't discriminate based on nationality, ethnicity, or gender, and neither does Q Mex." 

Reaching out the Beijinger, the woman who recorded the video provided her side of the story but requested to remain anonymous. She states that after a two-hour wait and confusion caused due to Q Mex's ticketing system, she and her husband were finally seated. After finishing their meal, they notice that four people were allowed to be seated in a booth together, which they had been told, prior to making their reservation, was against restaurant policy. After repeatedly asking why the rules had apparently changed, this is when the staff member purportedly turned to the bartender and said, "My boss told me not to allow black people in."

At this point, she began to record the video. "The recording started right after he said it as it dawned on me that this may be a situation. Video is the best evidence in this country," she tells the Beijinger. "We were preparing to leave and a staff member gets very aggressive with my husband, grabbing him and trying to pull him out the door. Not once but twice." The two then shouted at each other before she and her husband left the venue.

She adds, "I’ve never had any prejudice against Q Mex, and it was one of my favorite places to go."

While we do not know the exact details of what occurred prior to the incident portrayed in the video, this is a hard time for everyone in the city whether they're customers, staff, or business owners. In such a time, the virus could to do much more long-term harm to human relations than it will ever likely cause to our health. With that in mind, it would do us well to keep cool and avoid sharing videos or images via social media without the necessary context, lest we cause others harm through misinformation and rumors.

Q Mex's statement can be read in full below:

"So, many of you may have seen Q Mex mentioned in your social media feeds over the last day. There has been a lot of confusion, and a lot of questions, so we wanted to reach out and provide some context and explanation.

These are strange times for all of us, and we are doing our best to closely follow the government's policies and restrictions, for the safety of our customers and employees, and also to do our part in fighting the coronavirus. One of these restrictions is related to the number of customers we are allowed to serve in our restaurants at any given time. In Sanlitun, that number is 15 – and the government comes by regularly to inspect us and count customers. At 16, we get shut down, period.

That means that our employees are forced to turn away customers when the quota is reached – even though the restaurant is almost completely empty. Just like the rest of us, our employees are also dealing with huge amounts of stress and worry – about the virus, their families, the restaurant industry, the economy, etc. – and they are doing their best to stay positive and provide the best possible service to all of our customers.

It's not easy for waiters or hostesses to turn away customers – after all, they would also love to serve more people – but they have no choice. Management, the landlord, the government – all drive this point home daily; it's that or close our doors completely. The coronavirus doesn't discriminate based on nationality, ethnicity, or gender, and neither does Q Mex. Anyone and everyone is always welcome – although just 15 at a time until the restrictions lift. 

We appreciate your continued support and understanding. It's not a fun time for anyone, but this too shall pass. In the meantime, we will keep on keeping on, with our doors open – and plenty of space between tables. If you have any concerns, comments, complaints – please let us know (WeChat ID: QMexChina, email: marketing@qmex.com.cn) and we will address them right away. Stay strong.

Best,

The Q Mex Team"

READ: Public Dining Guidelines Updated Once Again but Confusion Remains as to Enforcement

Image: Q Mex, the Beijinger