Shoney's to provide $96 million in minority employment and business opportunities

Jet, August 14, 1995

The restaurant chain Shoney's Inc., will provide some $96 million in minority employment and business opportunities in an effort to counteract previous criticism of its treatment of Black employees, the Wall St. Journal recently reported.

The commitment, which spans three years, is the third phase of a program started in 1989.

An agreement detailing the opportunities was recently signed by C. Stephen Lynn, chairman of the restaurant chain and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

The agreement includes employee recruitment, franchise development and philanthropic contributions, the paper said.

In 1992, Shoney's settled a class action racial discrimination lawsuit by agreeing to pay nine former employees a total of $134 million.