The proprietors of Hilda and Jesse, a San Francisco restaurant, revealed on Instagram that they had refused service to three local police officers. The employees said that they were “uncomfortable” in the sight of armed cops and desired to keep the restaurant a “safe atmosphere,” so they kicked them out.
The cops are welcome back if they are “off duty, out of uniform, and without their weapons,” according to the message. As a result, the SFPD complied.
Customers flocked to social media soon after the choice to condemn the eatery for excluding the cops. Co-owner Rachel Sillcocks backtracked in an interview, saying that the choice had anything to do with “the reality that they are police,” regardless of the fact that one of the conditions is that they do not wear their uniforms in the business.
The people, of course, saw right through Sillcocks’ justification. Citizens slammed Sillcocks and co-owner Kristina Compton the next day. Their Yelp rating quickly slipped to one star, the least potential rating.
Customers vented on social media over the restaurant’s pricey cuisine and required 20% tipping. They emphasized that the co-owners aim to pay their staff “equitable salaries,” as seen by their mandated 20% tipping policy. They just do not want to shell out of their own pockets.
Others criticized the owners’ flawed rationale and hypocrisy. Some even stated the obvious: “gun-free zones” simply exclude law-abiding gun owners, not violent criminals who break the law.
When the co-owners saw the criticism was not going away, they did what any panicked business thinker would do: they issued a boilerplate apology and backed down on their choice.
Sillcocks and Compton are hoping that their apologies would placate the consumers who were angry. Sadly, the harm has already been done.
The restaurant’s proprietors have demonstrated that they are more focused on social justice than with the security of their staff and guests. In actuality, only law-abiding civilians and police personnel will adhere to the “no weapons” regulation.
Those who wish to cause damage are unconcerned about their “safe place.” The fact is that when cops are unarmed, the poor and disenfranchised suffer the most.
