When the owner of the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia politely asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave her restaurant last weekend, she probably had no idea of the mess she was about to get her establishment into. Or maybe she did. Who’s to say!
But those certainly not prepared for the controversy were other businesses named “The Red Hen,” and after President Trump jumped into the fray within 24 hours of the controversy breaking — attacking a private citizen on Twitter, natch — all bets were off.
The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2018
One might think that some Trump supporters, seen above harassing CNN’s Jim Acosta for the crime of covering the president’s campaign rally for South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on Monday night, might have enough good common sense and the ability to discern between two separate businesses in no way affiliated with one another … But who are we kidding?
Despite the fact that the Red Hen in Lexington is 200 miles and three hours apart from another, unaffiliated Red Hen restaurant in Washington D.C., that business is receiving the brunt of the attacks online.
The business has been trying to do damage control on Twitter, to varying degrees of success. And by varying degrees we mean “little to none.”
But hey, at least they seem to be having a good sense of humor about the whole thing!
.@RedHenDC and @RedHenPress checking on twitter after @RedHenLex refused service to Sarah Huckabee Sanders. pic.twitter.com/1o7JUVIxhq
— Red Hen Press (@RedHenPress) June 25, 2018
We’re not a franchise. We’re a small business. No connection at all to the one in VA. pic.twitter.com/pQO91pJyFy
— The Red Hen (@RedHenDC) June 25, 2018
It’s almost like all of our logos are of the same animal we’re named after or something. pic.twitter.com/iFc33FQkGj
— The Red Hen (@RedHenDC) June 24, 2018
Businesses in DC are prohibited from discriminating against people for political affiliation because we are a federal district. We have patrons from both sides of the aisle. https://t.co/IOmNmYqoj5 pic.twitter.com/xfkff7t4B0
— The Red Hen (@RedHenDC) June 24, 2018
Hey Deb! Wrong restaurant. pic.twitter.com/7ltgz2X6F5
— The Red Hen (@RedHenDC) June 25, 2018
— The Red Hen (@RedHenDC) June 25, 2018
No, you’re just not very good at reading. pic.twitter.com/7oX4stweEK
— The Red Hen (@RedHenDC) June 25, 2018
We feel your pain, guys. pic.twitter.com/pCYN1g9R3d
— The Red Hen (@RedHenDC) June 25, 2018
Unfortunately, as evidenced above, the Red Hen D.C. is not the only similarly named business suffering blow back. Restaurants named “Red Hen” as far as Old Saybrook, Connecticut and Swedesboro, New Jersey are also receiving online threats and negative Yelp reviews.
Make America great again, indeed.