Romney's Restaurant Effect-Eatery loses after refusing GOP nominee

The Daily ^ | October 3, 2012 | M.L. Nestel and Dan Hirschhorn

[MtnClimber]

An acclaimed Denver restaurant that told Mitt Romney to lunch elsewhere is facing some backlash.

After the GOP presidential candidate chose Chipotle for a lunch drop-by yesterday, the Mexican fast food chain got a lot of glory in the press after a Romney posing with staffers went viral. But it turns out the chain eatery was a fallback. And now the family-owned restaurant is paying a big price after a Westword blog post reported on its refusal to host the candidate.

“We lost a big order today,” Oscar Aguirre, co-owner of Rosa Linda’s, told The Daily. “Somebody called in and ordered $120 worth of food.

Later, Aguirre said, the customer called back and asked, "Aren’t you the restaurant that canceled Romney?"

He said the customer “hung-up” and canceled.

[MtnClimber]

Romney should buy them one way tickets to N Korea.

[Baynative]

The best line of the night came from Dennis Miller:

"Obama better hope a kicked ass is covered under his health care plan"

[Dr. Sivana]

I have to admit, I still love to eat at Valois’ on 53rd when I am in the area, even though Obama ate there frequently.

[posterchild]

How does a customer hang up and then cancel?

Why does a franchise owner take credit for his ‘amazing’ food?

We’re Mitt Romney’s civil rights violated at this public accomodation?

[The_Victor]

So, Rosa Linda’s was concerned about the message it would send if they accepted the request from Romney. Perhaps they should have been concerned about the message that refusing the request would send. It's easy to say, “it's just business, we don't necessarily support the candidate,” if you take the business. But, there's no doubt about who you support if you refuse the business.

[posterchild]

My mistake - Chipotle is not the place that turned him away.

[GeronL]

Another journalism major?

[SwankyC]

Then again, this is Chipotle and the food is FAR from amazing. I hate paying premium prices for Mexican food thats nothing but beans and rice.

[SwankyC]

Then again, this is Chipotle and the food is FAR from amazing. I hate paying premium prices for Mexican food thats nothing but beans and rice.

[MtnClimber]

If I was a restaraunt owner I would allow anyone to eat there as long as they behaved. Even Obama. Refusing someone is different. They hurt themselves.

[afraidfortherepublic]

What kind of BS is this? Why in the world would a “Mormon owned” restaurant refuse to allow Romney to eat there? What the heck do they mean, “How would that look?” That would look like the restaurant was hosting a group of paying customers for lunch. Now they look discriminatory. Or fearful. Either way, they look stupid.

And since when does the propriator of a business have to ask his parents whether a particular customer can eat there? There has to be more to this story.

[Paisan]

Any business that refuses to do business doesn’t belong in business...

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Remember when Hillary ate free at some diner in upstate New York and stiffed the waitress out of a tip?

[KeyLargo]

My wife and decided to try them and we ate at the local Chipolte Grill for the first time this past Saturday after she had just completed a basic rifle class by the way.

We ordered the beef tacos. Yuck. The meat was cut in large chunks and was tough and gristley. We left the so called food on the table and walked out telling each other that we would not be returning to that ptomaine palace.

Chipotle Grill Hepatitis A Outbreak Lawsuits

In late April of 2008, San Diego County health officials announced that a number of hepatitis A infections had been traced to the consumption of food purchased from the Chipotle Grill restaurant located at 8005 Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa, California, near San Diego. Officials advised customers who had eaten at the restaurant between March 1 and April 22 that they might be at risk for infection. More than twenty people who ate at the La Mesa restaurant tested positive for hepatitis A infection. Seven of those victims contacted Marler Clark for assistance with their cases.

Marler Clark filed three hepatitis A lawsuits on behalf of victims of the hepatitis A outbreak traced to the Chipotle Grill.

[MtnClimber]

I don’t care for Chipotle either, but it was Rosa Linda’s that turned down Romney.

[The_Victor]

Any business that refuses to do business doesn’t belong in business...

True freedom, of course, means they are free do do business or refuse business as they desire. But all of our free will choices have consequences. I guess the "in kind" donation to 0bama is more valuable to them than future profits. It sucks to be stupid.

[evets]

Rosa Linda's 'Empty Chair Day'.

[Katya]

Perhaps there is more to this story, it doesn’t sound like they meant to dis Romney, rather they chose to stay out of the political fray. Seeing that other restaurants have suffered by having candidates come in... I could understand saying no to any political campaign.

[muleskinner]

Re-read the article with your glasses on this time, then report back which restaurant stiffed Romney. Sheesh.

[jettester]

So let me get this straight: Dan Cathy explains his personal views on Biblical marriage and the libtards are frothing about shutting down and boycotting Chick-Fil-As left and right. However, no one has been able to prove that any discrimination has taken place through any of the restaurants to date. On the other hand, the presumptive Republican Presidential candidate is denied service and no one is upset?