EpiCentre club Kandy Bar accused of denying entrance to African American patrons

One way to brew up a social media storm: Get accused of denying entrance to African American patrons.

That’s what happened over the weekend at Kandy Bar in the EpiCentre uptown. On Sunday, Ashley Ellis Sisco said on Facebook that she saw the club’s bouncer permitting entrance to white patrons but not to black men and women. By Monday afternoon, her post had been shared more than 74,000 times.

The club’s Facebook response: “We have zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment. The individuals who were tu(r)ned away did not meet the dress code.”

That dress code says: No athletic gear, baggy clothing, tank tops, athletic hats, chains and excessive jewelry, sunglasses, sneakers and work boots.

But Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte NAACP, said she received calls from others accusing the club of consistently discriminatory practices.

“This can’t be tolerated and it shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone, specifically those who live in Charlotte because we work very hard to be inclusive,” Mack said.

Kandy Bar, an upscale dessert wine bar and lounge, opened in the EpiCentre uptown in spring 2016.

Read more in this Katherine Peralta story on CharlotteObserver.com.

This story was originally published September 19, 2016 at 6:13 PM with the headline "EpiCentre club Kandy Bar accused of denying entrance to African American patrons."