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Sarah Huckabee-The Croissanterie row: Massive support for Arkansas bakery after it removes Governor
The Croissanterie asked Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders leave due to concerns from staff about her views. The incident sparked online praise for the cafe.
A political and cultural storm has erupted in Little Rock after Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she was asked to leave a popular local bakery, The Croissanterie.
The controversy began when Sanders revealed that she was dining with friends on March 13 when the restaurant owner approached her security detail and requested that she leave, allegedly because her presence made staff feel “threatened.”
However, the restaurant has disputed that characterization, saying in a statement instead that concerns arose as the governor’s security presence became more noticeable, making some staff and guests uncomfortable.
The statement from the owners of The Croissanterie wrote, “As her security presence became more visible in the dining room, some employees and guests expressed discomfort. After the party completed their meal, a member of the security detail was quietly asked to help conclude the visit in line with our standard 90-minute table policy.”
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What happened at The Croissanterie and the Sarah Huckabee Sanders controversy?
According to Sanders, the restaurant owner asked her to leave after she had been dining for over an hour, citing staff discomfort linked to her political views.
In a statement, Sanders said, “Last week I was having lunch with two other moms at a restaurant when the owner approached a member of the State Police Executive Protection Detail and said my presence made their employees feel threatened and told us to leave.”
Sanders’s office tells Fox News that she and her company were seated at two tables for around an hour and fifteen minutes, during which time they had already paid and tipped employees.
Sanders and her group left the restaurant after complying with the request. One of the people standing with the restaurant employees yelled for them to go as they were leaving and gestured a crude flipping sign to the governor.
The Croissanterie clarified that it did not intend to create a political confrontation, emphasizing that its priority was maintaining a comfortable environment for staff and guests.
They said, “As business owners and members of this community, we recognized that any course of action carried consequences.”
The eatery claimed that although they decided to support their employees and guests who expressed they were uncomfortable, they said, "We do not recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened."
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The Croissanterie receives huge support online
An employee of The Croissanterie posted a picture on March 20 of the staff with the owners with the caption, “Good Morning! Sarah Huckabee Sanders no amount of evil you send our way can ever take our smiles away!!! I’m proud af to work here! I’m proud af to be gay and I’m proud af to be an Arkansan. My voice matters. Try again.”
After the employee made the post, users online rushed in to praise the move by the eatery.
A user on X wrote, “If y’all live near Little Rock, support this restaurant that kicked NepoGov Sarah Huckabee Sanders out.”
Another X user called the move “best thing” and wrote, “LOL! MAGA Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders throws a massive hissy fit after getting kicked out of a Little Rock restaurant by the employees. Best of all? The restaurant isn’t backing down…”
Another user pointed out that The Croissanterie is looking to hire after the incident unfolded. They wrote, “MAGA m**on Nazi racist pro ICE death squad Sarah Huckabee Sanders has made the Croissanterie in Little Rock, Arkansas so famous they are hiring more staff.”
