One restaurant in San Francisco is taking heat after employees turned away three police officers who came in for a hot meal.
The owners of the Hilda and Jesse eatery reportedly kicked the officers out after they were seated because the establishment “is a safe space — particularly for queer and BIPOC individuals.”
“On Friday, Dec. 3, three armed and uniformed San Francisco police officers came in to dine at Hilda and Jesse,” the brunch spot owners explained in an Instagram post. “Shortly after seating them, our staff felt uncomfortable with the presence of their multiple weapons. We then politely asked them to leave.”
“At Hilda and Jesse,” the post continued, “the restaurant is a safe space. The presence of the officers’ weapons in the restaurant made us feel uncomfortable. We respect the San Francisco Police Department and are grateful for the work they do.”
Listen to today’s podcast and subscribe:
The eatery’s owners added they welcome police officers into the restaurant “when they are off duty, out of uniform, and without their weapons.”
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott condemned the restaurant owners’ decision, saying the discrimination against the officers hurts the community.
The San Francisco Police Officers Association also issued a statement on the incident:
Three foot-beat officers looking to eat where they patrol are treated without any tact or class by this establishment,” the organization stated. “Fortunately, there are plenty of restaurants that don’t discriminate and will welcome our officers working to try and keep all San Franciscans safe.
In response to the news of the anti-cop action, the restaurant’s Yelp landing page was bombarded with 1-star reviews, according to NBC Bay Area.
The owners of Hilda and Jesse apologized Sunday evening, admitting they “made a mistake” and apologized “for the unfortunate incident.”
“We are grateful to all members of the force who work hard to keep us safe, especially during these challenging times,” the owners stated. “We hope this will be a teachable moment for us as we repair and continue to build bridges with the SFPD. These are stressful times, and we handled this badly.”
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***