Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) said Thursday that a Little Rock restaurant asked her to leave during a lunch outing because employees felt uneasy about her presence.
Sanders Says Staff Felt Threatened
In a post on X, Sanders wrote, “Last 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.”
“Arkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and while that restaurant didn’t meet that standard, my administration will continue to focus on lifting Arkansans up, not tearing others down,” said the former White House press secretary.
Restaurant Cites Discomfort Among Guests
The restaurant, The Croissanterie in Little Rock, gave a more measured account in a statement first reported by THV11. It said employees and other diners had “raised questions” about Sanders and her security team remaining there, and management concluded that every option carried consequences.
The restaurant said allowing Sanders to stay could look like a failure to support the community that makes up much of its staff and their families, while asking her to leave could be seen as denying service over differing beliefs. It said it ultimately chose to support workers and guests who said they were uncomfortable.
The Croissanterie also said it did “not recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened,” drawing a contrast with Sanders’ description. According to the statement, staff members quietly approached Sanders’ security detail twice, offered drinks for the road, and the governor’s group left without incident after the second request. The restaurant added that one customer made an “inappropriate hand gesture” as Sanders departed and said that the issue had been addressed.
Episode Revives Red Hen Backlash
The episode echoed a nationally known 2018 confrontation, according to a report by Time, when Sanders, then White House press secretary, was asked to leave the Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia, before being served. In a 2019 Washington Post opinion essay, Red Hen co-owner Stephanie Wilkinson wrote that she had “balked” at serving Sanders because of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and said Sanders’ actions in office “violated basic standards of humanity.”
Photo Courtesy: Michael Candelori on Shutterstock.com
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