Bedouin Restaurant in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs has enforced a new dress code banning “visible tattoos”, “designer labelled apparel” or “heavy jewellery” claiming it will prevent “intimidating appearances”.
The restaurant, which is frequented by Sydney based celebrities and socialites, sits in Double Bay and counts Hollywood director Taika Waititi, Rita Ora and Nick Kyrgios among its regular patrons.
Speaking of the new regulations, which are outlined on a sign out the front of the venue, the venue’s co-licensee Poata Okeroa explained the reasoning behind them.
“We value our customers and community stakeholders, and have always implemented house rules that include a dress policy that discourages intimidating appearances,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
The dress code also applies to staff. Establishments are allowed to implement their own dress code rules, unless they breach anti-discrimination laws.
“It is a bit like vaccination – proprietors of businesses can choose the type of patronage they want,’ Woollahra councillor Mary-Lou Jarvis said.
“If people don’t like it, they can go somewhere else,” she added.
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However, another Woollahra councillor disagreed with the restaurant’s new strict rules.
“The listed restrictions would preclude a big chunk of the eastern suburbs,” Woollahra councillor Richard Shields told Daily Mail Australia.
Adding: “I am personally not a fan of tattoos but I defend people’s rights to express themselves in that way.”
Bedouin Restaurant is advertised as an authentic Middle Eastern, Lebanese Restaurant and Lounge. It’s a restaurant that doubles as a lounge/nightclub from 10pm to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays a cabaret spot on Sundays. The venue was opened three years ago and is run by Poata Okeroa with business partners Eric Jury and Julian Tobias.
The move has upset many, with social media users expressing their disapproval on the restaurant’s latest Instagram post.
“But not for the tattooed or people who like jewellery. Joke of a place,” said one person.
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