Allegheny County GOP Chairman Sam DeMarco has sharply criticized Primanti Bros’ statement regarding the incident where Ohio Senator and Trump running mate JD Vance was denied entry to their North Versailles restaurant on Sunday.
Sen. Vance arrived at the Primanti Bros to greet a group of Trump supporters. However, he was met with resistance from the restaurant’s staff.
An employee informed Vance’s campaign that it was “not a campaign stop” and that “JD’s not allowed in.” According to witnesses, the restaurant manager even threatened to call the police if Vance and his team did not leave.
The situation quickly turned contentious as supporters expressed their frustration, booing employees as they were escorted out of the establishment.
Outside, Vance’s supporters rallied, protesting the treatment of the senator.
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Primanti Bros issued a statement on social media, claiming the entire situation was a misunderstanding.
The restaurant insisted that after a brief moment of confusion, Vance and his team were allowed inside to engage with guests.
They further stated that Vance was gracious about the situation, attributing the incident to nerves among the staff due to the presence of police, the Secret Service, and large crowds.
Primanti Bros statement:
Primanti’s prides itself on being a staple of the Pittsburgh community and a proud American business that has hosted sitting presidents, politicians, and political candidates from across the spectrum for over 90 years.
Our doors are open to all patrons who wish to dine with us. Without any advance notice, today’s campaign stop caused some momentary confusion for our staff.
However, Senator Vance and his team were welcomed into our restaurant shortly after and engaged with our guests inside and on the property. Senator Vance’s supportive comments that our manager got a little nervous given the Secret Service, police, and crowd accurately reflect the nature of what occurred, and we are glad that it was resolved quickly.
DeMarco, however, wasn’t buying it. He labeled the statement inaccurate, asserting that Vance was never allowed inside the restaurant except to pay for other patrons’ meals.
DeMarco wrote:
While Senator Vance was extremely gracious today about being denied entry to Primanti’s today, this statement is NOT accurate. Senator Vance was denied entry and he and his team were NOT welcomed into the restaurant after the initial “confusion.”
Perhaps Primanti’s isn’t being told the truth by their Manager who threatened to call the police if he entered.
Senator Vance spoke with and took photos with patrons outside in the parking lot but there were no interactions inside other than him going in to pay for everyone’s food.
I wouldn’t otherwise comment further on this but the false statement requires correcting it.
I was told staff had contacted the restaurant prior and as a matter of fact, a sandwich was ordered for the Senator which was sitting at a seat for him just prior to the motorcades arrival.
While Senator Vance was extremely gracious today about being denied entry to Primanti’s today, this statement is NOT accurate. Senator Vance was denied entry and he and his team were NOT welcomed into the restaurant after the initial “confusion.” Perhaps Primanti’s isn’t being… https://t.co/CcsRRoiGbm
— Sam DeMarco (@sdemarcoii) September 29, 2024
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