Rantz: Chocolati Cafe staffer who denied Seattle cop service is out of a job

A rude, cop-hating employee is out of a job at Seattle’s Chocolati Cafe in Wallingford after denying service to a police officer and a trainee. According to the cafe’s owner, the female staffer refused service because of her ideology.

Last Tuesday, the pair visited the shop to purchase a box of chocolates but was initially ignored. After finally getting the unidentified female staffer’s attention, she reportedly told them she wouldn’t serve them. The officer and trainee were shocked at the treatment.

Initially, the cafe distanced itself from the employee but supported her right to free speech. Now, they’ve parted ways.

Anti-cop staffer out of a job

After days of negative press and harsh criticisms online, the cafe’s owner, Christian Wong, said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the employee’s conduct. On Facebook, he announced the employee was no longer with the cafe.

“After fully understanding the facts of this incident, we came to the mutual conclusion that it was in the best interest of both parties to part ways with the team member involved in this incident,” Wong wrote.

Wong explained the cafe’s goal is to “treat everyone with compassion and empathy, and that we do not discriminate against customers based on our personal beliefs.”

On Sunday, Wong was to meet with the officers involved and personally apologize.

“Our hope is that this unfortunate incident can serve to help show that communication, empathy and education are the ways we can find common ground as a community in this city we all love,” he said.

Spokane County sheriff taking advantage of Seattle’s police exodus

This doesn’t happen in a bubble

This incident at Chocolati occurred as the Seattle Police Department faces a significant crisis.

Since last year, over 250 officers have left the force, leaving the SPD with the fewest deployable staff members since at least the 1980s. Concurrently, Seattle hit a 26-year-high homicide rate.

Officers are leaving, in large part, due to a lack of support. That includes attacks from the Seattle City Council and the community.

That the cafe faced such considerable pushback online, however, was a welcome sign. The silent majority in Seattle truly does back the blue, even if they seem mostly hesitant to say anything publicly. In Seattle, backing police openly can lead to activist scorn, bullying, and even assault.

SPOG president: Continued exodus of Seattle police officers ‘a community crisis’

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