Incident at Lower Manhattan Coffee Shop

A New Jersey man, sporting a red MAGA hat, was refused service at a coffee shop in Lower Manhattan on September 11. Anthony Pullis, 31, stated that the barista told him “no service” after he entered in a rather poor mood wearing his pro-Trump hat.

This encounter marked the first time Pullis wore the MAGA hat during the anniversary of the tragic events that took place in the city. He mentioned that he had also suffered a gunshot wound just a day earlier, paying tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Pullis makes an annual journey from Hazlet to Ground Zero to honor his father, Ed Pullis, who worked for Aon, a risk management firm located on the higher floors of the South Tower.

“We were confused,” Pullis explained. He was wearing a shirt featuring his father’s face during this visit with a friend, who happens to be his mother’s long-time partner and a retired FDNY member.

“We walked outside and checked the time; they were open, and people were coming in for coffee,” he noted.

While the barista didn’t explicitly say the hat was the issue, Pullis felt it was the cause. He later went back inside to confront the barista but was rejected. After some back and forth, he and his guests were finally served by another barista.

Pullis left her a $5 tip, but after exiting, he was labeled “snarky” by the barista. Following the incident, Pullis contacted his local newspaper, the Asbury Park Press, to discuss the event, prompting an outreach from co-founder Caroline Bell to apologize.

“She seemed genuine and very professional,” Pullis said, expressing hope that action would be taken against the barista. “I don’t hold any animosity towards Café Grumpy, but the behavior of their staff was quite disappointing.”