Following the racism allegation, the Great White Restaurant scandal continues as former employees come forward accusing the founders of sexual assault. Here's everything we know so far.
The Great White Restaurant has recently come under fire after a viral TikTok video, captured by Cassidy Cho (@juminjuice), showed that Asian diners are seated separately, tucked in the corner away from the main dining area, where white patrons are sitting in the restaurant's Melrose Avenue branch in Los Angeles.
Former employees have also come forward claiming that the alleged bias is part of 'management culture' in the restaurant and that they are explicitly instructed to 'treat people of colour differently'.
The owners have also released a statement denying the allegations and insisting that the restaurant's name was 'inspired by a shark,' and has 'nothing to do with race.'
But now, Great White co-founders Sam Cooper and Sam Trude have yet again faced another accusation—a sexual assault.
Sexual Assault Accusations
After the video went viral, former employees have revealed not just the racism they witnessed and experienced in Great White Restaurant but also the alleged sexual assault they experienced.
In the TikTok video uploaded by Ed Choi that has now garnered more than 500,000 views, he has revealed that Sarah Rose, a former employee, has come forward to tell the truth.
@etchaskej Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse with Great White, Gran Blanco, and the Sams - Sam Trude and Sam Cooper, it got so much worse. And like I keep saying and why I named my true crime podcast Patterns of Behavior. Bc the signs are ALWAYS THERE; you just have to know where to look. #greatwhite #granblanco #samtrude #samcooper #showmeyourmumu
♬ original sound - Ed
In the video, Choi showed a resignation message Rose sent back in April 2022, where she touched on the racism and sexism she experienced while working as a hostess at the restaurant.
In the exchanged messages between Choi and Rose, she claimed that the owners had 'consistently told us to wear skimpier clothing' and even encouraged them to let the owners 'feel [them] up,' meaning to touch them inappropriately.
According to Rose, many female employees also reported being 'touched inappropriately all the time.'
She also claimed that both Trude and Cooper were 'grabby' with women.
'They both were freaks—specifically at the Halloween party. They were weird and creepy that night,' she said.
During work hours, however, Rose alleged that the owners were 'rude' toward staff, especially people of color.
But the harassment didn't stop there. Rose recounted another incident where a drunk Great White employee allegedly 'grabbed her by the neck,' and said the owners did nothing despite her reporting it.
Furthermore, Rose, who is Black, claimed that racism within the company ran deep, alleging that Black employees were not allowed to work in the front of the house. She said she was only given a pass because Trude and Cooper thought she was 'so hot.'
'They treated us like objects,' Rose said.
At the time, one of the owners, Sam Trude, was already married to his wife, Cologne Trude.
Rose also alleged that sexual harassment was so rampant within the company that another employee came forward, claiming the owners had allowed someone named 'Drew' to 'harass female employees after four complaints.'
Online Criticism Floods In
Online criticism continues to pour in, with many calling for a boycott of the restaurant.
One commenter claimed that everything Choi revealed was true, writing, 'Everything is true. My friend used to work there, and she quit after only a few months because the owners were too touchy!'
As of now, the restaurant's owners have not released a statement regarding the allegations, and no lawsuits have been publicly filed by the alleged victims.
