Police Officer Is Not Served By A San Francisco Bakery Because Of No-Guns Policy

An area bakery that refused to serve an armed police officer received harsh criticism from the San Francisco Police Officers Association.

According to the police union, one of its officers was refused service this month at the Arab bakery Reem’s California on Mission Street because he was “armed and in uniform.”

“NO COPS ALLOWED. That’s the confirmed policy of the bakery chain Reem’s,” the SF POA wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The post includes a photo of an email exchange between the union and the bakery where a Reem’s spokesperson wrote, “At Reem’s, we do have a policy to not serve anyone that is armed in a uniform.”

“Presumably, this includes members of the US Military,” the police union responded on X. They condemned the bakery for its “bigoted” and “discriminatory” policy and demanded the bakery put up a sign alerting customers of the policy.

In a social media update, Reem’s California justified its firearms policy by saying it kept their staff and clients “safer.”

“Reem’s has a deep commitment to uplifting social and racial justice in our communities. This includes fostering an environment of safety for our staff and customers. In a time of increased gun violence — particularly impacting people of colour, youth, and queer people — we believe that maintaining a strict policy of prohibiting guns in our restaurant keeps us safer,” the Instagram post reads.

The policy has been in place since Reem’s established their first store in 2017, the company informed the media outlet Mission Local. The bakery lists sustainability, community building, and “social justice” as its three guiding principles on its website.

Police personnel are allowed in the restaurant when they are not on duty and unarmed, according to a spokeswoman.

“This policy is for armed officers, and we let police officers know that we welcome them back to our establishment when they’re off-duty and unarmed,” Reem told Mission Local.

The San Francisco store sent a statement stating that it would be closed until September 5. Requests for comments from Reem’s were not promptly fulfilled.

A call for comment from the San Francisco Police Officers Association likewise went unanswered right away.

In the liberal city, businesses have already turned away officers.

Restaurant owners Hilda and Jesse justified and later expressed regret for turning away three on-duty police officers in 2021 by invoking their anti-gun stance.

An employee at a nearby pizza restaurant was let off earlier this year after informing multiple police officers they weren’t welcome in the establishment.