Restaurant Owner Apologized For Asking Cops Not To Eat There


A restaurant in Washington state has apologized for asking cops not to eat there. Lucky Teriyaki is even offering free meals to law enforcement officers in order to make amends after word had spread that the restaurant didn’t want police officers to eat there.

Skagit County Sheriff Will Reichardt posted on Facebook that on Thursday, four deputies ate lunch at Lucky Teriyaki restaurant. When they finished their meal, they were told not to eat there anymore because the customers didn’t like law enforcement, says an article from Fox News. The sheriff says his chief deputy called the owner later and confirmed the request. He was even told to spread the word among other law enforcement agencies in the area for them not to eat there either.

https://www.facebook.com/SkagitCountySheriffsOffice/photos/a.499475616739758.112293.473337752686878/1166872153333431/?type=3&theater

The owner and his son later apologized and explained that it was all a misunderstanding and invited officers to continue patronizing the restaurant, according to a report from Seattle’s KCPQ-TV. The owner broke down in tears on Thursday night when the station interviewed him. He said cops are welcome at his restaurant and they will even get their meals free on Monday. They apologized and offered the free meals after a huge backlash by the public on social media and by phone calls to the restaurant.

Lucky’s Teriyaki is located in Sedro-Woolley, which is about 75 miles north of Seattle. The owner, reduced to tears, apologized profusely. He’s blaming a language barrier after he told the officers clearly that they weren’t welcome in his restaurant. The owner’s son, Li Xuechuang, said he told the deputies they were making other customers feel “uncomfortable” and that they “didn’t like law enforcement there.” According to a report by Kiro 7 News, the owner, Michael Li, told interpreter Natasha Chen that he and his son went together to the sheriff’s office Friday morning to apologize. He spoke in Mandarin to Kiro 7?s Chen, who translated.

“They were very generous and did not ask too many questions of us. They recognized that we went there with good intentions. And we’re also very thankful to them.”

Li said it was his son who interacted with the deputies and then later answered the phone call from the chief deputy. Li told Chen that his son hadn’t slept the night before because he was up with his newborn child. Li said, in retrospect, he had questioned whether his son should be working at all. He said he never expected his son’s lack of focus would lead to him saying the wrong words and creating such a problem. Li told Chen that while the deputies were eating lunch Thursday, another group at a table nearby spilled soup and their drinks and then seemed agitated and argumentative. The deputies, he went on to say, were standing up to pay.

“My son said the extra bit about ‘are you leaving now?’ He was concerned. The way he said it — perhaps in the wrong tone in English — was not right.”

An explanation was also sought for the owner’s confirmation of the no-law-enforcement request. Li said his son was actually the one who answered the phone call, and not understanding the chief deputy’s questions, merely answered, “Okay,” not at all realizing the consequences that were soon to come.

When Sheriff Reichardt’s post went up, Facebook blew up in just minutes with comments to boycott Lucky Teriyaki and even others expressing outrage. Li admits he’s afraid.

“Some people on Facebook have said they’ll drive up from California. I’m scared. My language skills are not good. I deeply apologize. Please forgive me. I hope people can understand and support me. We want them to come.”

Li went on to say that in the past, deputies and police officers sometimes liked to bring their own lunches to eat at his restaurant. He said he always had served them free soup and water, regardless of whether they ordered from him or not, because he knows they work hard. After the apology, the sheriff posted an update.

https://www.facebook.com/SkagitCountySheriffsOffice/posts/1167519409935372

In spite of the sheriff’s public post telling people that the restaurant has apologized and encouraging them to eat there, many people are refusing. Traci Cysset and her mother brought doughnuts and fruit to deputies today. They drove to Mount Vernon from Bellingham, and said they will not eat there. Her mother is skeptical of whether the owner is being truthful, while Traci feels it’s already too late.

“I think the damage has been done.”

Matt Pinquoch drove to the restaurant to get lunch on Friday before realizing it was closed. He admitted his curiosity and said he thought it “was odd that the Facebook site posted something that can only really damage a place,” and wanted to hear if there was something to it.

Law enforcement supporters have taken to social media and said they’ll never eat there again despite the owner having apologized and the sheriff’s department accepting the apology. It’s unknown at this time if or how many officers may be planning to return to Lucky Teriyaki restaurant for a meal.

[Photo by Shutterstock]

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