There is a certain kind of business owner who wakes up one morning and thinks, "You know what would be great for revenue? Alienating the majority of my customer base with a political statement on a sidewalk chalkboard." As The American Tribune reported, several restaurant owners across the country learned this lesson the hard way in early 2026, and the tuition was steep.
Let us start with Anton Kinloch, owner of the Lone Wolf, a craft cocktail bar in Kingston, New York. Kinloch placed a sign outside his establishment reading, "WE LOVE ICE IN OUR DRINKS. WE DON'T LOVE ICE IN REAL LIFE. SOLIDARITY ALWAYS." Very clever wordplay. Really nailed it. A few hours later, the sign was found splintered in the street, its chalkboard surface shattered after apparently being run over by a car multiple times. Kinloch and his wife and business partner, Lisa Dy, had opted to stay open during a liberal activist call for businesses to shut down in "solidarity" with illegal aliens, donating a portion of that night's profits to a local immigration advocacy group.
According to The Guardian, Kinloch also received about a half dozen derogatory comments after posting support for illegal aliens on social media. He told the outlet, "I spoke to other business owners in the area, and they said that they had received similar threats. They also saw a decline in their social media followers after speaking out. People were unfollowing them, blocking them and sending them hate messages."
Then there is Jamie Kenyon, executive chef and partner at Bottino in New York City. Minutes after posting a pro-illegal alien message on his restaurant's social media page (which included the phrase "We are all immigrants" and announced plans to donate 15% of sales to the National Immigration Justice Center), he received a phone call from a stranger who allegedly unleashed a torrent of obscenities. One commenter responded to the post saying, "One less place to visit. Maybe when some illegal sets you on fire, you'll grasp why." The restaurant also picked up two scorching one-star Google reviews in rapid succession. One reviewer wrote, "Their horrendous values and morals do not represent us. They are extremely hateful and immoral. Would not go here under any circumstances."
But perhaps the gold medal for mixing politics with marinara goes to Jason Vincent, co-owner of Pizza Matta in Chicago's Logan Square. Vincent allegedly refused service to an ICE supporter who he claims had been leaving harassing and politically charged messages on the restaurant's Instagram for months. When the customer showed up in person, the two got into an intense exchange before Vincent demanded the person leave. "I refuse to cook for fascists and their enablers," he told The Guardian. He then declared he reserves the right to deny service to anyone wearing a MAGA hat or pro-ICE t-shirt.
Nothing says "we welcome everyone" quite like a dress code that screens for political affiliation. These restaurant owners wanted to make a statement, and they absolutely did. It just was not the statement they had in mind. Turns out when you tell a huge chunk of the country that their views make them unwelcome at your establishment, they respond by making your establishment unwelcome in their wallets.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
