Dave Wick just wanted some eggs Benedict and a bloody mary on Thursday morning at one of his favorite Tacoma restaurants, the Hob Nob. Instead, he was shown the door. The reason: He was wearing a pro-Trump shirt.
It was Wick's day off and he had just sat down for breakfast with a coworker.
"It didn't even dawn on me that I had the shirt on," he told The News Tribune on Thursday afternoon. The T-shirt depicts a U.S. flag and an image of former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump on the July day he was grazed by a would-be assassin's bullet. It included the phrase, "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
Wick, 54, is a Trump supporter but said he didn't come to the restaurant for politics. He just wanted breakfast.
The meal began innocuously as a server seated the pair and brought them water.
"As she's walking away, she did a quick turnaround," Wick recalled. A few moments later, the server returned and told Wick that his shirt was making her uncomfortable.
According to Wick, the server told him he either had to leave or get his food to go. He asked to see the manager.
"And the manager came up," Wick recalled. "He said, because his waitress feels uncomfortable, he's not going to make them serve me."
Wick, embarrassed by the situation, quickly left along with his co-worker.
"I didn't want to draw anymore attention to us," he said.
Restaurant response
Management for Sound Restaurant Family, which owns the Hob Nob, was unaware of the incident until The News Tribune asked for comment. Robyn Nielsen, a spokesperson for the chain, expressed regret over Wick's treatment.
"We want to be a safe place for everyone who comes, regardless of beliefs, expression, anything," she said. "As long as they are being respectful and no hate, then you belong in our restaurant, and it sounds like that didn't happen today."
Nielsen said the restaurant has a policy against political discussions among staff or with customers. She shared a Sept. 12 email that she said was sent to all employees as a reminder.
"As we approach the upcoming election, we wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of our policy regarding discussions of politics in the restaurants," the email said in part. "To maintain a professional, respectful, and inclusive environment, we ask that political conversations are kept outside of work. This applies to discussions between coworkers and with our guests."
Nielsen said the Hob Nob staff is young and wasn't experienced enough to handle the situation correctly.
"Regardless of our own beliefs, everyone should have breakfast," she said. She said she would reach out to Wick to discuss the situation and make it right. The News Tribune has provided her with Wick's contact information.
Shocked
"I felt like I was being lectured, that I was being looked down upon, that I wasn't good enough," Wick said of the tossing. "It hit me hard. I mean, I was really taken aback by it."
Wick wanted his story told because he doesn't want it to happen again to him or anyone else. He believes strongly in the First Amendment, he said.
"It's one of our most important rights," he said. "It feels like it's in constant danger these days. Now, it's just walking into a restaurant."
Wick is adamant he doesn't want the Hob Nob "canceled" or otherwise harassed.
"I want to go back there again," he said. "I like to eat there. I just don't want that to happen again. They make the best bloody marys."
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