On Sunday, the restaurant owners issued an apology for refusing to serve three San Francisco police officers. Read the latest coverage here and answer our poll: While on duty, have you ever been asked to leave a restaurant?
By Matthew Tom
SFGate, San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO — A restaurant in North Beach refused to serve three uniformed and armed San Francisco police officers on Friday, because staff felt “uncomfortable with the presence of their multiple weapons.”
Staff “politely asked” the officers to leave, according to an Instagram post from the Hilda and Jesse, an all-day brunch eatery that opened its door on Nov. 1.
[RELATED: ‘A mistake': Restaurant apologizes for turning away 3 SFPD officers]
“We respect the San Francisco Police Department and are grateful for the work they do,” the post reads. “We welcome them into the restaurant when they are off duty, out of uniform, and without their weapons.”
The statement also added that “this is not a political statement, we did what we thought was best for our staff.”
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott tweeted a response on Saturday evening:
“The San Francisco Police Department stands for safety with respect, even when it means respecting wishes that our officers and I find discouraging and personally disappointing.
“I believe the vast majority of San Franciscans welcome their police officers, who deserve to know that they are appreciated for the difficult job we ask them to do — in their uniforms — to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe.”
[RELATED: Refusal of restaurant service: How to take the high road after a low blow]
By Saturday evening, Hilda and Jesse, located at 701 Union St., had been inundated with negative reviews on both Yelp and Google.
https://www.facebook.com/SFPD/posts/10158875549520749
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