A food influencer has ignited a feud with an 113-year-old San Francisco oyster house over a pro-Trump hat propped on the restaurant’s shelf – with its owner clapping back to defend the family business.
California-based creator Kat Ensign shared a snap of a MAGA cap she saw while waiting to order at Swan Oyster Depot.
‘Spotted at swan after waiting in a long a** line,’ Ensign, who goes by @katfoodsf on Instagram, wrote on a photo of an American flag baseball cap with ’45 47′ on the front.
These two numbers have become popular symbols among conservatives, as they represent each of Donald Trump’s presidential terms.
Doubling down on her discontent, the audio she placed over the image is someone saying: ‘Absolutely not, absolutely not, absolutely not – turn around, full U-turn.’
Ensign uploaded the post on Tuesday, echoing her disdain once again, ‘swan oyster depot -> absolutely not’ as the caption.
She also shared the uproar-sparking image on TikTok, asking her more than 16,000 followers, ‘am I late to the game or did everyone know this?’
But the attempt to shame the restaurant backfired when social media users turned against her, disagreeing with her move to slam the eatery.
California-based creator Kat Ensign (pictured) shared a snap of a MAGA cap she saw while waiting to order
The Swan Oyster Depot (pictured) responded to her complaint, claiming the item was displayed for a period of two weeks
One of the Swan Oyster Depot co-owners has since broken their silence on the controversy, saying the MAGA hat is not a fair representation of his family’s restaurant.
Kevin Sancimino, who owns the restaurant with his brother Tom, told SFGate the hat wasn’t treated any differently from other items the staff was given.
‘It was a gift from a customer, much like a lot of the stuff that ends up in our store, whether it’s rubber duckies or dollar bills from all over the world,’ he said.
‘Our place is a collection of things that have come in over years. We’ve got pictures of Ronald Reagan. He was a customer years ago.
‘One of our treasured possessions is a letter from Margaret Thatcher on the news of Parliament.’
In the aftermath of the post, the award-winning fish counter was defended by people who found Ensign’s post more divisive than the hat itself.
One man wrote under her post: ‘At what point, as a country, did we decide that it’s okay to attack and shame a fellow citizen because they don’t have the same political view that we do?’
‘That’s awesome supporting the United States and what makes America Great!!!’ someone added.
Most of the reviews on the more than a century-old fish house are overwhelmingly positive (pictured: oysters)
‘To bash it is just poor liberals just being upset and having nothing better to do with their lives.’
But the Swan was targeted by those who agreed with Ensign, with some vowing to never return over the display.
‘Oh that is so disappointing… thank god we are lucky enough to live in such a beautiful city with so many fantastic restaurants with amazing food, that are deserving of our support,’ one person wrote.
‘Never been and now won’t have a reason to go,’ another chimed in, with someone adding ‘Oh hello no! Hard pass. Disappointing.’
On Yelp, while the overwhelming majority of the reviews is still four and five stars, the controversy has seen their page inundated with awful comments and low ratings.
‘The MAGA vibes are gettin creepy,’ one reads, with another critic asking, ‘Why patronize a place that supports a President who attacks everything that the City stands for?’
With the unprecedented amount of attention pouring in, Yelp has stopped allowing people to rank the restaurant.
‘This business recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news,’ the website reads.
A famous San Francisco oyster house has come under fire after a food influencer tried to cancel the 113-year-old restaurant for displaying a pro-Trump hat (pictured: co-owner Tom Sancimino)
One of the owners of the award-winning restaurant said a customer gifted them the hat (pictured: a seafood platter)
Amid defending the hat’s presence, Sancimino claimed the post was strangely timed, as it went up while the Swan was closed for the holiday.
The favorited seafood spot has been closed since July 2 for the Fourth of July and will reopen on July 14, according to its Instagram page.
He added the ’45 47′ hat has not been on display for at least two weeks before the establishment closed.
‘People can have their different political views, and we can all coexist in the same space,’ Sancimino told SFGate.
‘I just find it to be a little bit sad that somebody would try to make a pariah out of someone or their business for having an alternative political view.
‘It seems myopic… Why does political belief not fall under the realm of inclusivity?’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Swan Oyster Depot and Ensign for comment.