The co-owner of the Red Hen in Virginia says her business is still doing well nearly a year after she famously asked White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave the restaurant. Stephanie Wilkinson writes in an editorial for the Washington Post that she and her employees lived through a year’s worth of online threats, protests, and hate mail (and a handful of supportive letters, too) dumped on her doorstep following the incident.
The Red Hen gained national attention last June for 86ing the Trump administration official, a decision Wilkinson characterized as a stand against a person who defends “inhumane and unethical” presidential policies. Huckabee Sanders tweeted about the incident and was eventually supported by the president, who tweeted his own negative review of the restaurant. Predictably, the restaurant experienced almost immediate right-wing backlash, resulting in both the restaurant owners and employees getting doxxed. In addition to the relentless threats, the Red Hen also received numerous false reservations and eventually closed down for two weeks to regroup.
Despite all the literal chicken shit that was thrown at her business, Wilkinson maintains that refusing to serve Huckabee Sanders was a good move that ultimately didn’t harm her restaurant.
When we opened after a 10-day hiatus, our dining room was full. In the following weeks, people who had never been to the Shenandoah Valley traveled out of their way to eat with us. Hundreds of orders for our Red Hen spice blend poured in. And the love spread far beyond our door, as supporters sent thousands of dollars in donations in our honor to our local food pantry, our domestic violence shelter and first responders.
After nearly a year, I’m happy to say that business is still good. Better than good, actually. And besides the boost to our area charities, our town’s hospitality and sales revenue have gone up, too.
The crew at the Red Hen are far from alone in their decision to make dining out an uncomfortable, difficult experience for Trump officials. Dining protesters have variedly yelled “fascist” at Stephen Miller and heckled former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen. Wilkinson’s account goes to show that folks who choose to protest political policies in a restaurant setting can expect some pretty heinous blowback, but also, perhaps, the reward of knowing there are people out there that are willing to support them.
Correction: A previous version of the subhead for this story describe the Red Hen as a D.C.-area restaurant. It’s located in Lexington, Virginia.
• I Own the Red Hen Restaurant That Asked Sarah Sanders to Leave. Resistance Isn’t Futile. [WaPo]
• Red Hen Restaurant 86’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders [E]
• Trump Officials Don’t Deserve Hospitality [E]