Pizzeria SF fired a cashier who refused to serve the police

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On Monday morning, a sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of Pizza Squared said, “Now hiring a cashier.”

The Detroit-style pizzeria is looking to replace a recently hired — and immediately fired — cashier who refused to serve uniformed cops on Sunday, sparking a backlash on Twitter and Yelp.

Douglas Carranxa, longtime manager of the Brannan Street pizzeria, said the employee was fired immediately after owner Christina Siu learned of the episode.

Carranxa said the cashier in question had been hired just days before and added that neither he nor the owner of Pizza Squared would ban police work.

“We do our best to provide good customer service and it’s very sad when things like this happen,” Carranxa said.

Charged political climate

It’s unclear what prompted the cashier, who Pizza Squared identified as Hispanic but declined to give his name, to refuse service to the SFPD. But the incident unfolded against the backdrop of the murder of Tyr Nichols, a black man who was severely beaten by Memphis police on January 7 and later died of his injuries. Video of the murder was released on Friday, and numerous protests against police brutality took place across the country over the weekend, including in Sacramento, where Nichols grew up, and in the Bay Area.

This isn’t the first time a Bay Area restaurant has come under public condemnation after refusing to serve uniformed cops. In December 2021, North Beach’s Hilda and Jesse diner caused an online uproar after staff refused to serve three uniformed officers. An Instagram post in which the owners explained that the presence of armed officers made staff uncomfortable was later deleted.

Sam Elbandak, owner of The New Spot on Polk Street and Town’s End Brunch on Townsend Street, said that while he welcomes the police to his establishments, he remains critical of bad actors.

“We are against police brutality, and I am for the selection and better training of officers,” he said. “But that doesn’t make me stop serving them.”

Quick and emotional reaction

Carranxa said he heard about the incident when Sioux called him to ask if he could come to work on his day off as the pizzeria was suddenly short of staff. “She was crying and couldn’t bring herself to come to the restaurant today after seeing everything people wrote on the Internet,” he said.

Sioux fast apologized to the police via Twitter after the San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) tweeted about the incident. Carranxa told The Standard that the incident upset him and Sioux, whom he described as a “great boss”.

Tracey McCray, president of the SFPOA, confirmed the incident, adding that she was glad the owners of Pizza Squared, which is about a block from the union’s headquarters, issued such a quick apology.

“Because our employees have visited Pizza Square without incident in the past, we take the words of the owners at face value and appreciate their willingness to quickly take responsibility for this unfortunate incident,” she said.

Earlier Monday, before Pizza Square opened, a group of cops stood around their motorcycles in front of 888 Brannan St., across the street from the store. From afar, they could be heard exchanging jokes about the restaurant.

– Would you like a piece? one of the officers asked, laughing.

“It’s a little early,” replied another.

Did you hear about what happened there?

“Yeah.”

They laughed again. But when this reporter asked to comment on Sunday’s events, they declined to comment and said they knew nothing about the incident.

Right to refuse service

The customer sitting at a sidewalk table outside Pizza Square on Monday morning was more welcoming.

“I don’t have any problems with cops,” August said, declining to give his last name. But this is their store.

The commonly observed “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” sign has certain legal restrictions in our state. Unruh’s California civil rights law prohibits business owners from denying service to anyone based on a number of factors, including “housing and public accommodations, age, ancestry, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.” “.

However, refusing to serve in the police force is not illegal because officers are not members of the restricted protected category under the wording of the Unruh Law. Restaurants are allowed to follow a dress code that also applies to people in uniform who carry weapons.

However, the legality of refusing to serve in the police does not protect businesses from retribution from the public, especially opinionated online commentators.

English