A Top Chef alum was recently turned away from a popular sushi restaurant because her Birkenstocks violated the restaurant’s dress code.
Marjorie Meek-Bradley – a Top Chef finalist who is now corporate chef for STARR Restaurants – was denied entry into the contemporary Japanese restaurant Shōtō in downtown Washington DC on 20 August. The award-winning chef was told by Shōtō employees that her bright yellow Birkenstocks were considered “flip flops” and were in violation of their dress code policy.
According to food news site Eater DC, Shōtō’s dress code policy enforces “an elegant and smart casual dress code” and “no athletic wear, jerseys, shorts, beachwear or flip flops are permitted” in the establishment. The restaurant noted that guests are made aware of the dress code when they receive a reservation confirmation either over the phone or via email.
Meek-Bradley, along with her friends and fellow restauranteurs Michael Rafidi and Danny Lee, took to their Instagram stories on Saturday evening to share their thoughts about the incident. “We got turned away because Marjie’s shoes were considered ‘flip flops’ and didn’t adhere to their dress code,” wrote chef Lee, over an image of Meek-Bradley’s yellow Birkenstocks.
Lee, who is a co-owner of DC restaurant Anju, also shared an image of his own attire to his Instagram story, showing off his blue T-shirt, yellow baseball cap, and “orthopedic” shoes. The restaurateur shared his thoughts on enforcing dress codes in a follow-up Instagram story.
“To be clear, the reason why dress codes are problematic is because it’s impossible to enforce them with any consistency,” he said. “This enables sexist/classist/elitist/racist thought to guide the enforcement of these ‘codes.’”
Meek-Bradley reposted his message to her own Instagram, adding: “Danny as always is more eloquent than I. I understand the root of this is a much larger problem and I hope that by shedding some light on it I can help be a part of the solution.”
In a statement to Washingtonian magazine, Shōtō owner Arman Naqi said he “appreciates and welcomes constructive criticism” regarding dress codes but was “disheartened” to see how the chefs “chose to address this on social media.”
“[The dress code] is certainly not to be taken personally, and in total fairness, our team wants to ensure that we are consistent,” Naqi said. “We do not and cannot make exceptions based on who people are – even if they are fellow chefs and restaurateurs that we respect greatly.”
Restaurant dress codes have often caused controversy online, whether they are enforced at restaurants or in schools. In June, a woman went viral on TikTok when she revealed that she was kicked out of a restaurant in Colorado for being “underdressed.”
In the video, the woman was told by an employee that “multiple guests complained” about her outfit and claimed to staff that she was getting up from her table too frequently. When she asked the employee what she did wrong, they replied that she was “very underdressed” for their “family establishment.”
Many viewers defended her in the comments section and criticised the restaurant for only confronting her until after she’d ordered and paid for her food. Others also noted that the restaurant didn’t have a dress code displayed on its website.
The Independent has contacted Marjorie Meek-Bradley and Shōtō for comment.
