New Brunch Spot Hilda & Jesse Refuses to Serve Armed Police Officers - Eater SF
"Over the weekend, Hilda and Jesse, a new all-day breakfast spot in North Beach, refused to serve three members of the San Francisco Police Department, as now reported by multiple media outlets, and even Fox. The restaurant’s owners originally posted on Instagram, saying that on Friday, December 3, they seated three police officers in uniform, but that “our staff felt uncomfortable with the presence of their multiple weapons,” and that they “politely asked them to leave.” Chief of police William Scott responded on Twitter, saying he encourages officers to support local businesses and respects the wishes of the restaurant, even though he found them “discouraging and personally disappointing.” The restaurant received a social media storm: As of publication time, even though it only opened a little more than a month ago, Hilda and Jesse has received nearly a thousand reviews on Yelp, with a one-star rating average. The page is currently frozen due to unusual activity. The owners subsequently apologized on Instagram, saying “we made a mistake” and “handled this badly,” and apologized to the SFPD. In an interview with ABC7, co-owner Rachel Sillcocks said, “It’s not about the fact that we are anti police. It’s about the fact that we do not allow weapons in our restaurant. We were uncomfortable, and so we politely asked them to leave. It has nothing to do with the fact that they were officers, and everything to do with the fact that they were carrying guns.”" - Becky Duffett
