Lee Heidhues
I totally commend the restaurant Hilda & Jesse for asking fully loaded and uniformed cops to leave and return in civilian attire.
It is a sad commentary on the state of San Francisco when the owners are being pummeled for taking a principled stand and telling the cops, “Don’t bring your guns into my house.”
San Francisco Chronicle 12.5.2021
San Francisco restaurant Hilda and Jesse is facing criticism from police and online reviewers after it asked three armed, uniformed city officers who were dining there to leave because staffers “felt uncomfortable with the presence of their multiple weapons.”
At the restaurant on Union Street in North Beach, chef and co-owner Rachel Sillcocks said Sunday morning that the staff was busy preparing to open, and she would not be available to provide more information until later.
But after reports of the incident spread on social media Saturday, the restaurant late in the day made a statement on Instagram describing what happened.
Soon after the officers were seated on Friday, restaurant staffers “politely asked them to leave,” according to the Instagram post, because “the presence of their weapons in the restaurant made us uncomfortable.”
“The restaurant is a safe space,” the post said. “This is not a political statement, we did what we thought was best for our staff.”
“We respect the San Francisco police Department and are grateful for the work they do. We welcome them into the restaurant when they are off duty, out of uniform, and without their weapons.”
In response, the Police Department referred The Chronicle to a statement by Chief Bill Scott on Twitter. In it, he said, “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.”
Rachel Sillcocks and co-owner Kristina Compton opened Hilda and Jesse on Nov. 1 on Union Street after it got its start in 2019 as a popular pop-up in the Richmond District.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/S-F-restaurant-faces-backlash-after-asking-16676313.php
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