Governor's office: Sarah Huckabee Sanders asked to leave Little Rock restaurant after Friday lunch

Last edited Thu Mar 19, 2026, 03:16 PM - Edit history (1)

March 18, 2026

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she was asked to leave a Little Rock restaurant after her office claims that the restaurant’s owner said employees felt “threatened and uncomfortable.”

According to a Wednesday night statement from the governor’s office, Sanders, while accompanied by an Arkansas State Police protection detail, was having lunch on Friday at the Little Rock restaurant called The Croissanterie.

“After the group had been seated at two separate tables for about an hour and fifteen minutes and had paid and tipped the restaurant staff, The Croissanterie’s owner approached a member of the Governor’s Executive Protection Detail and asked the Governor to leave because her presence was ‘making employees threatened and uncomfortable’ because of her political views,” the governor’s spokesperson said.

The governor’s spokesperson stated that Sander’s group began to leave the restaurant when a man standing with members of the staff, “yelled ‘it’s time to go’ and made a crude hand gesture in the Governor’s direction.”

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https://www.kark.com/news/governors-office-sarah-huckabee-sanders-asked-to-leave-little-rock-restaurant-after-friday-lunch/


Update from a Facebook post:

CROISSANTERIE CONTROVERSY: There have been social media posts about Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders visiting The Croissanterie and an incident that took place.

Instead of summarizing it, I have statements from both Croissanterie and Governor Sanders’ office.

Croissanterie Statement🥐: “When we became aware that the governor had arrived at the restaurant announced, we were surprised and uncertain how best to respond. By the time we entered the dining room, she was already seated and eating. At that point, we chose not to interrupt, expecting that the party would complete their meal and depart without issue. However, as the presence of her security detail became more widely noticed, by both employees and guests, questions were raised about them remaining in the restaurant. As
business owners and members of this community, we recognized that any course of action carried consequences. Allowing her to stay risked being perceived as a lack of support for the community that makes up the majority of our team, as well as their families and friends. Conversely, asking her to leave could be viewed as denying service based on differing beliefs. Ultimately, we made the decision to support our employees and guests who expressed they were uncomfortable. To clarify, we do not recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened. Approximately one hour into the visit, a member of the security detail was quietly approached and asked to encourage the governor to conclude her visit, as she had finished dining. Beverages were offered to the party for the road. Nearly 30 minutes later, the party remained on the premises. As the 90-minute table seating limit approached, the security detail was approached a second time and informed that approximately 10 minutes remained. Around this time,
another customer attempted to involve themselves in the situation and was asked to step away. After reviewing camera footage, we confirmed that a member of the security detail did send
a message to the governor following the initial request; however, it was not seen at that time. Once the message was received she and her party departed without incident. It is also important to note that many guests in the main dining room were unaware of the situation, and there was no applause or disruption as has been suggested. Additionally, the individual who made an inappropriate hand gesture was a customer – not an employee – and the matter has been addressed. We regret being placed in this position and having to make a difficult decision. However, we stand by our choice to support our employees and guests.”

Governor Sanders👩🏻‍💼: “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. Arkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and while that restaurant certainly doesn't meet that standard, my administration will continue to focus on lifting Arkansans up, not tearing others down with discrimination and hate.”

On Background:
On Friday, March 13, Governor Sanders joined a group for lunch at The Croissanterie in Little Rock. As always, the Governor was accompanied by her State Police Executive Protection Detail. After the group had been seated at two separate tables for about an hour and fifteen minutes and had paid and tipped the restaurant staff, The Croissanterie’s owner approached a member of the Governor’s Executive Protection Detail and asked the Governor to leave because her presence was “making employees threatened and uncomfortable” because of her political views. The Governor and her party respected the restaurant owners’ wishes and departed, and as she was leaving, a man standing with members of the restaurant staff yelled “it’s time to go” and made a crude hand gesture in the Governor’s direction.”