KC officers stopped at spot to eat before protest — and told not welcome in uniforms

A City Market restaurant is dealing with some backlash after an incident where Kansas City police officers were told they were not welcome while wearing their uniforms.

According to the Kansas City Police Department, the incident happened on May 30. Three officers went to the Bite restaurant prior to the George Floyd protests on the Country Club Plaza.

According to a social media post from one of the officers, the woman who delivered their food “advised us that we were not welcome returning to their business in our police uniforms, and to let everyone else know the same.”

Sgt. Jacob Becchina, a Kansas City Police Department spokesman, confirmed the now-deleted post causing the uproar was from a Kansas City Police officer.

“The information was communicated to our members, by the officers that were at the restaurant at the time, per the restaurant’s request,” he said.

The officer posted that the restaurant was a frequent stop and they never had an issue when they weren’t in uniform. They ordered their food, paid and tipped 20 percent on the take-out order, according to the post, which also noted another customer thanked the officers for being on the Country Club Plaza the night before.

Chef and owner Carlos Mortera said the incident “had been blown out of context and proportion.”

“I was off that day, and an employee took it upon herself to do a small protest,” Mortera said. “Since we are in mourning for George Floyd, she asked that they not come back in their uniform, just for that week, but only in their streetwear.”

The employee has since resigned from the Bite, according to Mortera and City Market officials.

Mortera said the employee was warned at the time not to say anything because the restaurant would be targeted.

He added: “So I’ve received threats — people saying they are going to come burn the restaurant down, calling me a bigot, reviews saying we hate police, that we have rats.”

A Yelp alert says the business “recently made waves in the news which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news rather than actual consumer experiences with the business.”

City Market management issued a statement: “In light of the social justice issues our city and nation are confronting, emotions have been running high throughout our community, and unfortunately, an incident occurred that does not align with City Market’s customer service principles. ... To be clear, the police officers were not refused service.”

The Bite opened in early 2014 at 23 E. Third St. Mortera said the menu combines flavors from his Mexican heritage and experiences and uses the fresh locally-sourced ingredients when possible. It has sandwiches such as the Bay of Pigs with roasted pork and prosciutto, tamales, chicken carnitas, caramelized plantains, and ice cream sandwiches with seasonal flavors.

This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 7:25 PM.