Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was having lunch with two other people when a restaurant called The Croissanterie asked her to leave. They allegedly told her their employees felt “threatened” by her presence.
On X, Sanders wrote, “Arkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and while that restaurant certainly doesn’t meet that standard, my administration will continue to focus on lifting Arkansans up, not tearing others down with discrimination and hate.”
Reactions to this news were mixed, as many hailed the restaurant, while others criticized the conduct.
One supporter of Sanders wrote on X: “It’s disappointing to see this happen in a state that prides itself on community. Using ‘feeling threatened’ as an excuse to be inhospitable to anyone, let alone a leader having lunch with moms, is a bad look. We need more of that ‘lifting up’ energy you mentioned. Keep leading with grace!”
Sanders described the incident in a post on X:
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… https://t.co/oYtZQNkX8o
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 19, 2026
While another commented, “Maybe if you cared as much about your state and the people in it as you do Israel, you’d get better service.” The Arkansas restaurant issued its own statement on the situation, as reported by THV11.
The statement said,
“As business owners and members of this community, we recognized that any course of action carried consequences. Allowing her to stay risked being perceived as a lack of support for the community that makes up the majority of our team, as well as their families and friends.”
It added, “Conversely, asking her to leave could be viewed as denying service based on differing beliefs. Ultimately, we made the decision to support our employees and guests who expressed they were uncomfortable.”
RELATED: White Supremacist March Called ‘Reckless’ – Arkansas Police Response Sparks Fury
The restaurant, however, denied Sanders’s claim that anyone felt threatened by her presence.
They stated, “Approximately one hour into the visit, a member of the security detail was quietly approached and asked to encourage the governor to conclude her visit, as she had finished dining. Beverages were offered at the party for the road. Nearly 30 minutes later, the party remained on the premises.”
ASKED TO LEAVE: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she was kicked out of a Little Rock restaurant after staff claimed her presence made employees uncomfortable. https://t.co/6cUVN864PI
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) March 19, 2026
As the 90-minute table seating limit approached, “the security detail was approached a second time and informed that approximately 10 minutes remained (…) After reviewing camera footage, we confirmed that a member of the security detail did send a message to the governor following the initial request; however, it was not seen at that time. Once the message was received, she and her party departed without incident.”
Sanders also said she was shouted at and received a rude hand gesture from one of the employees, as reported by The Daily Wire.
The Arkansas restaurant, however, denied this and wrote in their statement that, “It is also important to note that many guests in the main dining room were unaware of the situation, and there was no applause or disruption as has been suggested. Additionally, the individual who made an inappropriate hand gesture was a customer – not an employee – and the matter has been addressed.”
This is not the first such incident. In 2018, Sanders and her family were asked to leave a restaurant called Red Hen. She was serving as White House press secretary at the time.
