Important Update

To our Guests, Neighbors, and Partners:

We are sharing this statement to address concerns that have been raised regarding our restaurant’s commitment to our employees and the circumstances surrounding the recent dismissal of a staff member at our The Loop – West End location. Unfortunately, this situation has been inaccurately linked to the presence of ICE agents in our community. We want to be very clear: as a small, community-based business with a significant number of immigrant employees, customers, and partners, we stand firmly behind our team and remain committed to supporting them during this difficult time.

Prior to the Day of Truth and Freedom demonstrations in the Twin Cities on Friday, January 23, we worked with kitchen management at each of our restaurants to determine whether locations should remain open. Each location chose to stay open with reduced staffing for those who wished to work and earn wages that day. At the same time, we committed to accommodating any employee who requested time off to participate in the demonstrations. Dozens of scheduled employees did request, and were granted, time off in order to exercise their First Amendment rights alongside others in the community.

On that same day, an employee at our The Loop – West End location, who had not requested time off, did not report to work for a scheduled serving shift. Like many restaurants, we have a “no-call, no-show” policy that can result in termination. The manager on duty attempted to contact the employee, and when no response was received, the employee was terminated. At the time, we had no record of the employee’s intent to attend the demonstration; the employee simply did not arrive for the scheduled serving shift. In hindsight, we recognize that we should have taken an additional step to understand the reason for the employee’s absence before making that decision. This was an error in judgment on our part, and we have since made efforts to contact the employee and offer the employee the opportunity to return to work.

In the days following, we have been accused of taking this action because of the employee’s alleged participation in the Day of Truth and Freedom demonstrations. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a local restaurant group, we deeply value and appreciate our team members from immigrant backgrounds. Many employees attended the demonstration that day, and we have supported employees in numerous ways during this period of increased ICE activity in our community.

Unfortunately, misinformation surrounding this situation has resulted in hundreds of negative comments on our social media channels, a wave of manufactured one-star reviews, fraudulent online reservations, and harassment and threats directed toward our employees. None of this behavior is warranted. Any perceived connection between the employee’s termination and the Day of Truth and Freedom demonstrations is purely coincidental.

These are challenging times, and we recognize that actions can easily be misunderstood. While we acknowledge that we should have taken additional steps to determine why the employee did not report to work that day, we want to be unequivocal that the decision had nothing to do with the employee’s political views or participation in the demonstration.

We hope this statement helps address your concerns. If you have additional questions, please contact us at Support@TheLoopWestEnd.com

Thank you for being our customers, neighbors, and partners.

We appreciate your continued support and hope to welcome you back again soon.