Little Woodrow’s Backs Off Its Face Tattoo Ban

Restaurant dress codes are decidedly becoming a thing of the past, but controversy is raging online after Houston-based bar Little Woodrow’s enforced a ban on face and neck tattoos at its establishments.

The controversy began at a Little Woodrow’s outpost in Midland, Texas, where a man named Joeseff Rivera says that he was denied entry to the bar because of a tattoo on his face. Rivera posted a Facebook video after he wasn’t allowed to visit the bar, which has since been viewed more than 32,000 times.

The ban on face and neck tattoos applies to all Little Woodrow’s locations across Texas, including the original bar in Houston. An attorney for the chain told Odessa’s CBS 7 that all patrons at all Little Woodrow’s restaurants are required to cover any tattoos on their face or neck before entering the restaurant, and noted that the policy has only impacted “one or two” patrons.

As is customary in this era of social media outrage, tattoo enthusiasts came to Rivera’s defense, leaving a slew of one-star reviews on Little Woodrow’s Facebook page. At present, it doesn’t appear that the bar has any plans to change the policy.

UPDATE: A representative for Little Woodrow’s tells Eater that the company has officially rescinded its anti-face and neck tattoo policy. Check out the official statement here:

Little Woodrow’s does not have an issue with tattoos as evidenced by the fact that we had no restrictions on tattoos of any kind except at two of our sixteen locations. At those locations, we implemented a policy where we requested that neck and/or facial tattoos not be openly displayed. After further review, we have rescinded this policy. We continue to focus on providing a safe and comfortable environment for all our guests. The company regularly reviews and modifies its policies when it is deemed reasonable to do so.

Restaurant doesn’t allow face and visible neck tattoos [CBS 7]