Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders walked into a local restaurant expecting a quiet meal. Instead, she ended up being asked to leave after customers and staff made it clear—they weren’t comfortable with her being there.
According to a report, Sanders dined at The Croissanterie in Little Rock on March 13, accompanied by two others and her police security detail. What started as a routine visit stretched past an hour and 15 minutes, with Sanders and her group already served their meal before things took a turn.
That’s when the complaints started.
Customers reportedly voiced discomfort about Sanders’ presence, putting the restaurant in a difficult position: keep her there and risk alienating staff and patrons—or ask a sitting governor to leave. They chose the latter.
“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,” the restaurant said in a statement.
But they also acknowledged the other side of the decision.
“Conversely, asking her to leave could be viewed as denying service based on differing beliefs,” the statement added.
In the end, the restaurant made it clear where it stood.
“Ultimately, we made the decision to support our employees and guests who expressed they were uncomfortable.”
Sanders, however, told a different version of the story.
She claimed she was asked to leave because staff felt “threatened” by her presence—a much more serious accusation that suggests fear rather than discomfort.
The restaurant quickly pushed back.
“To clarify, we do not recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened,” they said, directly contradicting Sanders’ account.
