Is it true that there used to be a restaurant called Sambo's?

Question

that made fun of black people? I heard that the reason Denny's is racist now is because they just took over Sambo's and changed the name to Denny's. Is this true? Why do the management and employees of Denny's do this? is this because they used to work at Sambo's where they were trained to think that way?

Answer 1

Yes, there was a chain similar to Denny's, and no they aren't racist...just moving into a new era.  Everything changes with the times and restaurants changing names are just one of the changes.

Answer 2

If there really was a Sambo's that "made fun of black people", it has not existed for a LONG time.  Which means anyone working for Denny's now, did not get trained by Sambo's.

It is evident you are associating the word Sambo with the book Little Black Sambo.  It may be of interest to you that this book was written about a child in India, not a child of an African decent.

I have seen the version that many African Americans despise, and due to the illustrations, I can see where the disdain comes from.  

However, I have also seen the version that takes place on the African Savannah, and its illustrations are very respectful and gorgeous!  

The story itself has no reference to any stereotypes nor does it contain any racial comments.  Again, because it was originally written in India, about an Indian child.

Answer 3

Yes it's true there was a restaurant chain by the name of "Sambo's".I worked with an old man who told me he had 3 Sambo's stores until they had to close because of the Main company went into bankupty. He lost over $400,000 when he closed his stores.

It's true they had a little black boy by the name of Sambo being chased by a tiger painted on the walls of the restaurant. But the boy was in India and he ware a turban on his head. He says people sued the main company and they had to close all the Sambo's all over the country. Denny's did not have anything to do with this company.....

Answer 4

yes there was (as stated before) and speaking from actually going to one (when i was a kid) it was very family friendly and NOT racist in any means.  and it was indian themed and did not have anything to do with Denny's.  they may have taken over a few of the stores, but that would be the only similarity

Answer 5

yes there were sambo's now they are of the past

Answer 6

I don't recall Sambo's being racist but there definitely was such a restaurant.  I remember the one by me always was teeming with flies.  

Here's the wikipedia info:

Sambo's is a restaurant, formerly an American restaurant chain, started in 1957 by Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett. Though the name was taken from portions of the names of its founders, the chain soon found itself associated with The Story of Little Black Sambo. Battistone and Bohnett capitalized on the coincidence by decorating the walls of the restaurants with scenes from the book, including a dark-skinned boy and tigers. By the early 1970s, the illustrations depicted a light-skinned boy wearing a jeweled Indian-style turban with the tigers. A kids club, Sambo's Tiger Tamers (later called the Tiger Club), promoted the chain's family image.

By 1979, Sambo's had 1,200 outlets in 47 U.S. states. However in the late seventies controversy over the chain's name drew protests and lawsuits in communities that viewed the term Sambo as a pejorative towards African-Americans, particularly in Northeast states. Several of the restaurants were opened as or renamed to "The Jolly Tiger" in locations where the local community passed resolutions forbidding the use of the original name or refused to grant the chain permits.[1] In March of 1981, in a further attempt to give the chain a new image the company again renamed some locations, this time to "No Place Like Sam's".[2] By November of 1981, the company filed for bankruptcy.[3] Neither the name change nor bankrupty protection reversed the downward trend, and in 1982 all but the original Sambo's at 216 West Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara, California, closed their doors. [1]

In its last days as a chain, Sambo's was sued by Dr Pepper for plagiarizing the latter's popular television commercial in a spot Sambo's ran to promote its new senior citizen discount program. Sambo's was also sued by non-white employees and applicants who were alleging discrimination in hiring and advancement[citation needed].

Battistone's grandson, restaurateur Chad Stevens, owns the only remaining Sambo's. He expresses a desire to revive the chain.

There is a "Lil' Sambo's" restaurant in Lincoln City, Oregon, but it was never part of the Sambo's chain.[4]

Battistone is also the original owner of the New Orleans Jazz in the NBA.[2] He later moved the team to Utah and sold it.