The governor of Arkansas was asked to leave a Little Rock restaurant after employees said they felt âthreatenedâ by her presence.
âLast week I was having lunch with two other moms at a restaurant when the owner approached a member of the State Police Executive Protection Detail and said my presence made their employees feel threatened and told us to leave,â Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) posted Thursday on X.
âArkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and while that restaurant didnât meet that standard, my administration will continue to focus on lifting Arkansans up, not tearing others down,â she added.
The restaurant in question â The Croissanterie in Little Rock â provided a statement published by THV11 Wednesday.
The restaurant said employees and other diners âraised questionsâ about the governor and her team in the establishment.
âAs business owners and members of this community, we recognized that any course of action carried consequences,â the restaurant said in the statement.
âAllowing her to stay risked being perceived as a lack of support for the community that makes up the majority of our team, as well as their families and friends,â the statement continued.
âConversely, asking her to leave could be viewed as denying service based on differing beliefs. Ultimately, we made the decision to support our employees and guests who expressed they were uncomfortable,â the statement read.
The restaurant added it does ânot recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened.â
Its employees âquietlyâ approached the governorâs security detail twice with requests to leave and offered the team drinks to go.
The governorâs group âdeparted without incidentâ after the second request, according to the statement. The restaurant said one customer made an âinappropriate hand gestureâ as the governor left the premises and said this âmatter has been addressed.â
âWe regret being placed in this position and having to make a difficult decision,â the restaurant said. âHowever, we stand by our choice to support our employees and guests.â
In 2019, the co-owner of the Red Hen in Virginia said she was harassed after asking the then-White House press secretary to leave the business before her meal was served.
In a Washington Post op-ed, Stephanie Wilkinson cited the Trump administrationâs immigration policies and said she âbalkedâ at the thought of serving Huckabee Sanders, âwhose actions in the service of our country we felt violated basic standards of humanity.â
