See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.<\/p>\n
By Caroline Spivack<\/p>\n
Brooklyn Paper<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.”<\/p>\n
The owners of Schnitzel Haus took down a signed photo of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump that graced the Bay Ridge German joint for nearly a decade, because online reviewers called the eatery racist for appearing to support the divisive White House hopeful who has proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the U.S. and has been accused of using white-nationalist imagery in campaign materials.<\/p>\n
Sausage slingers said the link was half-baked, but they begrudgingly removed the picture anyway — because the move made capitalistic sense. <\/p>\n
“When you’re hurting my income and taking food off my family’s table, we’re forced to make changes,” said Amber Urban, who owns the restaurant with husband Fred. “Honestly, I was very upset. I don’t know how posting a picture on the wall is promoting hatred.”<\/p>\n
It hanged there since the restaurant opened in 2007, said the owners. The Urbans are friends with the head of Trump’s security, and The Donald — whose paternal grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Germany — swung by the restaurant in its infancy to wish them luck with their business.<\/p>\n
The real-estate mogul offered to send the pair a signed photo of himself, and the Urbans accepted, even though they figured they’d never receive it. The next day, a delivery man showed up at the door with a signed headshot that read: “To Fred + Amber, best of luck with Schnitzel Haus! Best wishes — Donald Trump.”<\/p>\n
The Urbans were thrilled to display das foto, because of Trump’s Teutonic roots.<\/p>\n
“I was honored to hang the photo,” said Fred. “He’s a prominent businessman and a big supporter of German-American heritage.”<\/p>\n
But social media users said the photo was less than appetizing.<\/p>\n
“Came here with friends and the food was excellent, true German cuisine,” one Yelp reviewer wrote. “But I felt uncomfortable. On the wall there is a picture of Donald Trump.”<\/p>\n
Another customer likened the photo to displaying a portrait of Adolf Hitler, Fred said.<\/p>\n
So the stein-house owners dumped Trump’s mug and replaced it with a letter to patrons explaining the picture’s origin.<\/p>\n
But neither Urban plans on casting lots with The Donald in November’s election — in fact they may not vote at all, because they are more interested in stuffing sausage casings than ballot boxes, Fred said.<\/p>\n
“We don’t speak politics, we speak beer and wurst,” he said.<\/p>\n
Reach reporter Caroline Spivack at mspivack@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260–2517. Follow him on Twitter @carolinespivack.<\/p>\n
Comment on this story.<\/p>\n