A restaurant in Tucson, Arizona closed indefinitely after sparking backlash for a pro-Donald Trump Facebook post that expressed support for standing for the national anthem, god and drug screening welfare recipients.
Cup It Up American Grill, which offers salads and entrees in cup form, shuttered its doors on Monday, leaving only taped signs expressing gratitude to the military and first responders.
“Dear Loyal fans and Patrons of Cup it Up American Grill,” the signs read. “We have made a decision to close our doors indefinitely as of today, Monday, October 9, 2017. The safety of our employees, and our families is of great concern and is our #1 priority at this time. We would also like to extend a special thanks to our Military and First responders. Thank you all and God Bless."
The decision comes after Cup It Up posted a lengthy statement on Facebook, extolling the restaurants’ support for “OUR President—Donald J. Trump” and its lack of support for “fake news,” “political correctness” and “late night hosts getting political.”
That post sparked immediate controversy. Two employees quit after angry former customers inundated the restaurant with phone calls, and online reviewers flooded websites like Yelp with negative posts.
"People threatened to burn down the restaurant with the owners in it. It's a crazy world we're in," Ron Sanchez, the grandparent of a former worker at Cup It Up, told ABC 15.
Shortly thereafter, Cup It Up’s operating partner Julian Alarcon “submitted his resignation to his partners on Saturday and was working with an attorney to legally untangle himself from the restaurant.”
The Facebook post was removed after three hours, and owners Christopher Smith and Jay Warren apologized for the statement.
“Our decision to bring our personal political beliefs into a business forum is regretful, and for this we apologize to all,” the statement read.
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