Anti-police cafe signage prompts backlash; owner calls police for help

By David Menzies
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June 22, 2020

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It’s not news to report that it’s become somewhat trendy in certain circles these days to denounce the police. But as that line in the old Ghostbusters song goes when you run into some trouble, “who you gonna call?”

Just check out the case of the anonymous owner of Foodbenders, a restaurant in the west-end of Toronto.

A posting in blogTO noted how this restaurateur decided to hop aboard the Black Lives Matter movement by displaying a sidewalk sign that stated: “F*** the police.” Not just bad police officers, but apparently, all police officers.

She also made similar odious statements on social media. But while such rhetoric might get a hefty thumb’s up from the lunatic fringe, I would suspect that when it comes to most reasonable people, such slurs are offside and ignorant.

And so it was that the restaurateur received – gasp! – negative feedback from some members of the public. One commentator posted: “You are disgusting!!!! Please don’t ever call the police for anything.”

Another person stated: “You people are racist, go back to your country.”

And wouldn’t you know it? Apparently she can dish it out but is unable to take it. Indeed, the restaurateur was triggered, and is now fears for her personal safety. So, what did she do about that? Yes, she picked up the phone and dialled 9-1-1.

Suddenly the very group of people she was vilifying with her signage were now her potential saviours.

But talk about chutzpah! Even when she was asking for police assistance, she still took the opportunity to – yet again – slag the Toronto Police Service! The scaredy-cat restaurant operator, who chose to remain anonymous, told blogTO that, “she believes people are being encouraged to protest by a few individual Toronto police officers.”

Yes, that’s right. She actually believes the police are coordinating a harassment campaign – even though there’s precious little evidence if any to prove this point.

“It’s really deep and scary,” she told blogTO. “These people are hunting me now.”

And indeed, it looks like she’s in hiding these days. I visited Foodbenders on three separate occasions in order to get her side of the story; alas, the eatery was shuttered and I have no idea if this closure is temporary or permanent.

But hey, as they say in the foodservice biz: “If you can’t take the heat, get outta the kitchen.”

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