Chicago business man Rashad Bailey had hopes his new business venture, Dinner and a Movie would thrive. Once Bailey opened his doors last year serving up waffles, alcohol, movies and music catering to class reunions. However, he says his business soon turned cold after opening its doors according to FOX 32.

“This year (during hearings with the city), I found out I had about 10 undercover officers in my restaurant within a week’s time of me opening with no incidents happening,” Bailey told the news station.

The location had been hit with complaints from neighbors about the noise and the restaurant had been the scene of several physical altercations and a shooting that took place in June 2021.

“This year (during hearings with the city), I found out I had about 10 undercover officers in my restaurant within a week’s time of me opening with no incidents happening,” Bailey told Fox.

The Dinner and a Movie owner added the Chicago police have harassed his business by frequently showing up in large numbers unannounced. A video a month after the shooting took place shows police breaking into the restaurant after a shooting took place across the street.

Bailey told Block Club Chicago the city’s business department started investigating the restaurant after it opened for selling liquor beyond its license. At that time the department revoked the restaurant’s privileges to serve lunch and operate past midnight. Bailey blamed the restaurant’s closing on neighbors who made fake complaints due to the restaurant’s large Black customer base.

Bailey says he is done fighting city hall and will leave Chicago calling the situation racism.

“This is racism,” Bailey told Chicago Block Club. “They’re putting crime and the problems of the city on me. … They see Black music, Black people, and they think that’s the problem.”

According to FOX 32, the following events took place after the business opened:

May 7-9. 2021: CPD conducted undercover surveillance on the business.

June 17, 2021: Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection showed up with CPD wanting to audit Bailey’s books within 10 days.

June 18, 2021:  Bailey received a letter that the city of Chicago wanted to see his records for all food and alcoholic beverage transactions.

June 26, 2021: The people responsible for the fighting were contained inside. Bailey says he couldn’t contain them any longer as he waited for CPD to show up 20 minutes after the call. After he released the people he had contained in the business is when the shooting happened.

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection sent the following statement on the incident to FOX 32:

“On July 22, 2022, the Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection revoked the business licenses for Dinner and a Movie, LLC, located at 2500 N. Ashland Ave. The establishment was found to have violated its Liquor License Plan of Operation by operating as a tavern not a restaurant, operated in violation of its Nuisance Abatement Plan and failed to take reasonable steps to correct the nuisance conditions created by the operation of the business.”

This made Bailey to close his business for good.

“Because Dinner and a Movie was Black. The Black birthday is a problem and some days we are. I told someone else, there are people out here in Chicago that shoot people and rob people and they are savages and should be locked up. Because hardworking Black people we don’t want to deal with that and they group us together. I don’t want to deal with that,” Bailey said.

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