United States ex rel. Clark v. Fraley

282 F. Supp. 948, 10 A.L.R. Fed. 210, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11892
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. North Carolina
DecidedApril 9, 1968
DocketNo. C-56-S-67
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 282 F. Supp. 948 (United States ex rel. Clark v. Fraley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States ex rel. Clark v. Fraley, 282 F. Supp. 948, 10 A.L.R. Fed. 210, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11892 (M.D.N.C. 1968).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

EDWIN M. STANLEY, Chief Judge.

The plaintiff, United States of America, by Ramsey Clark, Attorney General, seeks by this action to restrain the defendant, Glenn Walter Fraley, the owner and operator of an establishment in Rowan County, North Carolina, known as Fraley’s Tavern, from operating his establishment on a racially segregated basis in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000a et seq. The defendant denies that he is operating a place of public accommodation within the meaning of the Act for the reason that he does not operate an establishment principally engaged in selling food for consumption on the premises.

The matter has been submitted to the Court for consideration and decision on the basis of a stipulated record. Accordingly, after considering the pleadings, affidavits, depositions, exhibits, and other stipulated documents, the Court now makes and files herein its Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, separately stated:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. This action is brought under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S. C. § 2000a et seq. Jurisdiction of the Court and the right of the Attorney General to bring the action are not questioned.

2. The defendant, Glenn Walter Fraley, operates an establishment known as Fraley’s Tavern. The establishment is located north of Albemarle, Rowan County, North Carolina, near the intersection of state highway No. 49 and Stokes Ferry Road, a secondary road, within the jurisdiction of this Court. The building in which the tavern is located was designed and built by the defendant in 1964, at a cost of about $30,000.00.

3. The defendant has pursued a policy and practice of racial discrimination in the operation of Fraley’s Tavern, and has refused, and continues to refuse, to provide services to Negroes on the same basis as services are provided to white members of the general public.

4. The building contains two public rooms, rest-rooms, a beer storage area, and a kitchen. The entire building contains 3,368 square feet.

5. The dining room is separated into a dining area and a dance floor by a waist-high partition. The dining area [950]*950contains 1,050 square feet of floor space, and provides seating accommodations for 80 persons. The dance floor contains 700 square feet of space.

6. The barroom, 700 square feet in size, contains booths with seating capacity for 20 persons, and stools for 12 other persons at the bar.

7. The kitchen, containing about 168 square feet of space, is completely enclosed, and is separate from the dining room and the barroom. It is equipped with a pizza oven, a baster oven, a deep fryer, a grill, a chicken “broaster,” storage facilities for frozen and refrigerated foods, a large double sink for dishwashing, and storage space for the table service and flatware.

8. A beer storage room and walk-in cooler are located behind the bar and adjacent to the kitchen. The average inventory of beer in the storage room and cooler is approximately 500 cases.

9. A men’s rest-room adjoins the bar, and men’s and women’s rest-rooms adjoin the dining room.

10. Defendant’s business hours are from 7:30 a. m. until midnight, Monday through Saturday. The dining room is open from 5 o’clock in the afternoon until midnight, Monday through Saturday.

11. Fraley’s Tavern sells beer for carry-out, or off-premises, consumption, and serves beer for consumption on the premises. Defendant is duly licensed for such sales. There is no distinction between the sale of beer for consumption on and off the premises, and such beer sales are made from the same business, the same inventory, and pursuant to the same license.

12. Sandwiches and pizza are served in the barroom each day from the lunch hour until closing. After 5 o’clock in the afternoon, full-course meals, as well as sandwiches and pizza, are served in both the dining room and the barroom. The menu offers fourteen entrees, including chicken, steaks and a variety of seafoods. These entrees are served with tossed salads, vegetables and hot rolls, or hush puppies. In addition, the menu offers a sandwich selection and two sizes of pizza with a choice of condiments which include pepperoni, anchovies and mushrooms.

13. The luncheon trade at the defendant’s establishment is erratic. Occasionally, although not frequently, no food is served during lunch hours. On a busy day, the defendant may serve as many as 20 sandwiches or 5 or 6 pizzas. On a typical day, more pizzas are served after 5 o’clock than during the lunch hour.

14. On Friday and Saturday evenings, music is provided in the dining room by a band of local musicians; dining room service is restricted to couples; and a “cover charge” of 500 per person is charged. These evenings are also the establishment’s busiest. On Saturday evenings, the dining room is normally filled to capacity, and many of the patrons do not order food. Instead, they come to sit, drink beer and dance, and it is estimated that on Saturday evenings 25% of dining room sales consists of beer.

15. The defendant’s food preparation methods and facilities are regularly inspected for sources of food contamination, and graded by officials of the North Carolina State Board of Health. The defendant regularly receives the highest sanitary rating awarded, and, as required by law, keeps a copy of the inspection report on display.

16. The defendant is licensed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue to engage in the business of operating “a restaurant, cafe, cafeteria * * * or other place where prepared food sold * * * ” The defendant paid $106.00 for the license he now holds.

17. Fraley’s Tavern is operated, managed and supervised by the defendant and his wife. They employ two full-time regular employees, and one part-time employee. The defendant personally opens and closes the tavern each day. Until midaftemoon, he tends the bar, handles all carry-out beer sales, and cooks and serves sandwiches and pizzas. After the dining room opens at 5 o’clock each after[951]*951noon, the defendant also waits on tables in the dining room. Most of his dining room work, however, is confined to Friday and Saturday nights.

18. A bartender reports for work at 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon each weekday, and at 1 o’clock each Saturday. He works in the barroom until closing each night, and is paid a salary of $100.00 per week.

19. The cook reports for work at 5 o’clock each afternoon, when the dining room opens. She works only in the kitchen and dining room, preparing and serving meals and serving beer. She works until closing each night, and is paid a salary of $62.50 per week, exclusive of tijps.

20. The defendant’s wife, a co-owner of the tavern, works four days per week. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, she works from 5 o’clock until closing, waiting on tables in the dining room. During the day each Friday, she goes to Albemarle to select and purchase perishable foodstuffs, steaks and vegetables. These are purchased at retail so that she may personally insure the quality of the food served at the tavern. Each Monday, Mrs.

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282 F. Supp. 948, 10 A.L.R. Fed. 210, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11892, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-ex-rel-clark-v-fraley-ncmd-1968.