This week, a popular San Francisco bakery issued a new policy relating to the city’s police officers, banning them from their restaurant.
Local Arab street food restaurant and bakery chain Reem’s California Mission announced that it would begin enforcing a policy not to serve any member of the city’s police force.
“NO COPS ALLOWED. That’s the confirmed policy of the bakery chain Reem’s,” the San Francisco Police Officers’ Association said in an X post on August 24, which included a screenshot of an email apparently from a Reem’s executive to the San Francisco Police Officers’ Association that said the company has a policy “to not serve anyone that is armed and in uniform. Presumably, this includes members of the US Military.”
The police union urged the bakery to post signage about its policy after it denied service to an officer in uniform while simultaneously urging city officers not to give the bakery the time of day.
“We are not asking Reem’s or any business with a bigoted policy to serve our officers,” the association explained in a follow-up tweet. “We’re asking them to own their discriminatory policy and put up a sign so we know not to spend money in your establishment — on or off duty.”
The Mission bakery opened not long before the pandemic in San Francisco and has since become a popular eatery. Founded by Reem Assil, who describes herself online as a chef “working at the intersection of food, community and social justice,” the bakery says it “has a deep commitment to uplifting social and racial justice in our communities.
“This includes fostering an environment of safety for our staff and customers. In a time of increased gun violence — particularly impacting people of color, youth, and queer people — we believe that maintaining a strict policy of prohibiting guns in our restaurant keeps us safer.”
It added: “Many members of our community have been impacted by gun violence, whether that be an experience on the streets of San Francisco or Oakland, having come from war or occupation, or having increased fear due to a growing climate of political extremism.
“All too often, black and brown people, and poor people are the victims of this violence,” the statement continued. “At Reem’s we aim to provide a space where people can eat delicious Arab food and work together to strengthen our community, without fear of violence or harassment.” the statement continued. “We invite our community to step up and join us in creating that culture of care and resilience.”
The restaurant told Mission Local it will still welcome officers when they are off duty.
“This policy is for armed officers, and we let police officers know that we welcome them back to our establishment when they’re off-duty and unarmed.”
Reem’s is not the first San Francisco restaurant to deny service to police officers. In 2021, the owners of all-day brunch restaurant Hilda and Jesse apologized after three uniformed officers were asked to leave, and earlier this year, a cashier at Pizza Squared was fired after he told police officers they are not welcome at the business.
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