June 09, 2006
Geno's owner drinks stupid juice
English only at Philly cheesesteak joint
"I certainly wouldn't want a national audience to think it represented all of the wonderful cheesesteak makers in the whole city," said Meryl Levitz, president and chief executive of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. "This isn't representative of the Philadelphia attitude."
Competitors are seizing on the controversy.
Tony Luke's issued a statement saying it welcomes all customers "whether or not they speak a `wit' of English."
And a manager at Pat's, Kathy Smith, said of Geno's English-only policy: "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life. I'd rather listen to the Spanish than the foul language of the college students."
