OWNERS of a Melbourne restaurant are fuming at being branded racist over the treatment of a customer and are considering legal action for defamation.

Their legal plans come as the African-Australian woman at the centre of the claims, which were published in The Age, has openly admitted that she hates white people.

The comments made by Tabotu Teklemariam, 21, on social media emerged after she claims she was turned away from Melbourne’s Il Pom restaurant for racial reasons.

“I’m going to bring you whites so down you wouldn’t know what’s coming,” Ms Teklemariam told social media followers on June 22.

“I don’t care if you think I’m being a racist cause (sic) I’ll openly admit it, I hate whites with a passion.”

Ms Teklemariam later apologised for the comments describing them as a single mistake in a “heated” moment, and vowed to continue her fight against racism.

A report published in The Age described Ms Teklemariam’s humiliation at being “attacked for being black” at the restaurant last Friday.

But Il Pom said it was 9.30pm when the woman and her boyfriend sat down and the kitchen was closed.

The waiter who told them they could not be served has not been back to work because management fear he may be attacked by angry protesters.

Il Pom general manager Georgia Reynolds said the kitchen closes every night between 9pm and 10pm.

“Her claims (Ms Teklemariam’s) are unjust and untrue and we believe we were part of a setup,” Ms Reynolds said.

She said the restaurant had not ruled out legal action.

“We are in conversations,” Ms Reynolds said.

Ms Teklemariam has said her comments about white people were “made out of anger … in a heated moment”.

“I’m willing to be accountable for my actions unlike the owner (of Il Pom),” she told backers online.

Ms Teklemariam is vocal about her views on social justice and volunteers for a number of indigenous rights causes.

In a Facebook post last year, referring to an ABC report on DNA evidence about Europeans’ heritage, she wrote that Africans are “pure” and that “everybody outside of Africa is a mongrel”.

It’s understood management were last night meeting with Ms Teklemariam, who has also contacted lawyers.

andrea.hamblin@news.com.au