Legendary California seafood restaurant clashes with ‘glamorous' influencer who ignited backlash over Trump hat
A 'glamorous' California restaurant blogger tried calling out a century-old oyster bar for displaying a Trump hat before the family-owned business owners fired back.
Kat Ensign's visit to San Francisco's Swan Oyster Depot left her clammy after she noticed the stars and stripes adorned black cap with '45' and '47' emblazoned on the front, referring to President Trump's two terms, behind the shop's counter.
6 A Trump '45 47' is displayed inside Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco.
@katfoodsf/Instagram
The food influencer appeared disgusted by the apparent political alignment of the restaurant but waited several months to post the photo for optimum backlash against the 113-year-old business.
'Swan oyster depot -> absolutely not,' Ensign wrote on social media on July 8.
Ensign questioned if she was the only one who didn't know about the alleged Trump support at the family-owned business.
'Am I late to the game or did everyone else now this?' she asked on TikTok.
The food influencer has 36,600 followers on Instagram and another 16,000 on TikTok.
6 Kat Ensign eats at Jagalchi Daly City Oyster Bar as part of her Instagram food reviews.
@katfoodsf/Instagram
Ensign's social media posts prompted a mass-review bombing of the restaurant featuring thousands of one-star reviews, according to SFGate.
Google and Yelp pages rate the eatery as a 4.6 and 4.2-star establishment, respectively.
The legendary establishment, opened in 1912, is located in the Polk Gulch neighborhood of San Francisco, one and a half miles west of the Financial District.
The Swan Oyster Depot's owners claim they were given the hat from a guest and it was restaurant tradition to display such items inside.
'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,' co-owner Kevin Sancimino told the outlet. 'Our place is a collection of things that have come in over the years.'
6 Customers line up outside Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 1, 2011.
San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
6 A customer eats at Swan Oyster Depot on Oct. 17, 2006.
Getty Images
Pictures of Ronald Reagan and a letter from former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher have also been gifted to the family business, according to Sancimino.
The business also has a copy of 'Hillary Rodham Clinton: Her Essential Wisdom' on display to show different viewpoints of customers.
Swan Oyster management accused Ensign of waiting to post the photo because the store has been closed since July 3 and the hat was taken down two weeks earlier for cleaning before the family went on a two-week vacation.
Ensign told the ownership she had taken the photo months earlier but waited to post it because she was still getting bad press from a local executive chef after she poorly reviewed his restaurant, SFGate reported.
6 Owners Jimmy Sancimino and Steve Sancimino prepare for the lunch rush on Dec. 1, 2011.
San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
6 The food influencer has 36,600 followers on Instagram and another 16,000 on TikTok.
@katfoodsf/Instagram
Sancimino defended the decision to display the hat, saying he didn't find it 'super offensive' and it didn't portray the family or employee's political beliefs.
'People can have their different political views, and we can all coexist in the same space,' Sancimino said. '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?'
Ensign faced backlash for her poor social media post allegedly attacking a family-owned business.
'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? Asking for a friend…' one Instagram user commented.
'Trying to destroy someone's livelihood because of how they vote isn't activism — it's bullying in disguise. You don't have to agree with someone's politics to respect their right to earn a living. If your convictions are so fragile that they require silencing people instead of debating them, maybe the problem isn't them — it's you,' another comment read.
'Do something better with your following verses knocking down family-owned businesses,' said a third user.
'This is what you want to be known for? The oyster girl?' said another.
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