A popular diner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Primanti Bros., has faced immense backlash after refusing to allow Republican Vice Presidential Candidate JD Vance in the restaurant. Furthermore, patrons of the establishment were also outraged after they were asked to leave the premises to make room for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz during a campaign stop on Monday.
Several people were reportedly forced to leave Primanti Bros. around 4 p.m. to make room for the Democratic presidential campaign despite refusing to accommodate JD Vance. Mark Dodson explained that he simply wanted to patronize the establishment and enjoy the Pittsburgh Pirates game. “I wanted to watch some sports and enjoy an afternoon lunch,” he said.
However, he recalled the bartender announcing last call unusually early in the afternoon. “Around 3:30, the bartender, she goes, ‘It’s last call’ – what do you mean last call?” Dodson recalled. He was then informed that a private event was scheduled to begin soon at the restaurant. “They shut down the TVs… so you couldn’t watch the game,” he said. “I said, this is BS – this is a public restaurant. It was kind of mind-boggling to me.”
Perplexed by the situation that defied his experience in the restaurant industry, Dodson noticed that protestors had lined up outside the restaurant, many of whom displayed pro-Trump memorabilia and signs. Former Trump administration official Joshua Herman shared footage of the protests at Harris’ campaign bus arrived, writing, “The Harris/Waltz campaign kicked out patrons at @primantibros at 4PM to bring in staged “customers” for Kamala’s visit tonight. Trump supporters gathered next door to properly welcome their fake campaign to Allegheny County!”
One person on social media scolded the restaurant, writing, “Why did @primanitbros allow its customers to be kicked out of the restaurant for a Kamala photo opp? That seems pretty cold for the restaurant to do.” Another conservative wrote, “They need to not patronize the establishment any longer as they’ve shown their true colors, democrats only… shut them down.”
The American Tribune recently reported on the initial controversy surrounding Primanti Bros., when the restaurant refused to let JD Vance enter the establishment to interact with supporters. Subsequently, conservatives have called for a boycott against the parent company of the diner, Authentic Restaurant Brands.
As the backlash ensued online, the restaurant released a statement, seemingly attempting to backpedal. “Primanti’s prides itself on being a staple of the Pittsburgh community and a proud American business that has hosted sitting presidents, politicians, and political candidates from across the spectrum for over 90 years,” the statement read.
The restaurant continued, “Without any advance notice, today’s campaign stop caused some momentary confusion for our staff. However, Senator Vance and his team were welcomed into our restaurant shortly after and engaged with our guests inside and on the property.” The restaurant continued, “Senator Vance’s supportive comments that our manager got a little nervous given the secret service, police and crowd accurately reflect the nature of what occurred, but we are glad that it was resolved quickly.”
Watch an epic moment from Vance during the vice presidential debate below:
Featured image credit: By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America – J. D. Vance, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149633340
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