In January 2026, a group of restaurant owners sought to express their opposition to President Donald Trump’s deportation policies by refusing to serve Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Their planned act of defiance did not unfold as intended. Anton Kinloch, owner of the Kingston-based craft cocktail bar and restaurant Lone Wolf, made headlines when he posted a provocative sign outside his establishment. The sign read, “WE LOVE ICE IN DRINKS. WE DON’T LOVE ICE IN REAL LIFE. SOLIDARITY ALWAYS.”
Kinloch, alongside his wife and business partner Lisa Dy, decided to keep their doors open on January 30 instead of closing in solidarity with calls for a national shutdown. They opted to donate a portion of their sales from that night to a local immigrant advocacy organization. Their rationale for staying open was grounded in practicality; the financial strain brought on by winter months left them without the luxury to shut down.
However, the move to take a stand drew backlash from their community. As soon as Kinloch posted the supportive message, his sign was vandalized. In a startling display of opposition, it was found shattered and splintered on the street, seemingly run over by a vehicle. Kinloch voiced his frustrations about this vandalism, revealing how the hostility extended beyond physical damage. He noted, “I spoke to other business owners in the area, and they said that they had received similar threats.” Many of them experienced social media backlash, with followers unfollowing them or sending messages of hate over their stances.
The theme of social pushback was echoed by Jamie Kenyon, a top chef at Bottino in New York City. After he shared a pro-immigrant message on the restaurant’s social media, he was bombarded with aggressive phone calls from unhappy customers. His post, which emphasized solidarity with immigrants and announced a plan to donate a significant portion of sales to the National Immigration Justice Center, attracted a swift wave of condemnation. Comments ranged from veiled threats to outright disparagement, including one that read, “One less place to visit.”
Critics harnessed the power of digital platforms, leaving one-star Google reviews aimed at damaging the restaurant’s reputation. One such review criticized the establishment’s values, labeling them “horrendous” and declaring a refusal to patronize the business due to their views.
In Chicago, a different confrontation unfolded at Pizza Matta. Co-owner Jason Vincent found himself in an intense dispute with a customer who had harassed him with politically charged messages online for months. Tensions flared after the customer entered the restaurant on the day a five-year-old boy was taken into custody by ICE. Their argument culminated in Vincent’s stark declaration: “I refuse to cook for fascists and their enablers.”
These incidents collectively illustrate a growing chasm in communities across America, where personal convictions on immigration policy have led to concrete consequences for business owners. Demonstrating support for immigrant rights has proven to be a double-edged sword, leading to both solidarity among like-minded individuals and a powerful backlash from others.
The experiences of Kinloch, Kenyon, and Vincent underscore how contentious this issue has become in American society. Each owner, while believing they were standing on principle, learned that activism can attract unintended reactions. The interplay between business and political beliefs is fragile, and in the case of these restaurants, it has led to a stark reflection of the divided sentiments regarding immigration policy today.
"*" indicates required fields
