New Jersey man says cafe denied him service over MAGA hat before Ground Zero ceremony
Anthony Pullis, who lost his father in the 9/11 attacks, alleges Café Grumpy refused service moments before he attended the memorial near Ground Zero.
A New Jersey man who lost his father in the 9/11 attacks said a Lower Manhattan coffee shop refused him service because of his MAGA hat moments before he walked to Ground Zero for the annual memorial. Anthony Pullis, 31, of Hazlet, told The New York Post that he wore the red cap to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed the day earlier, and a barista told him, "No service" as he entered Café Grumpy in the Financial District.
Pullis said he had never worn the hat to the remembrance before. He arrived with a friend and his mother’s longtime partner, Tommy Smith, who is retired from the FDNY. He noted the hours on the door showed the shop was open; "They never said it was because of the hat, but I assumed it was." He went back inside to challenge the barista to a dialogue but was dismissed. He and his guests were eventually served, and he left a $5 tip, though the barista called him "disgusting" as he exited.
Pullis's father, Ed Pullis, worked for risk-mitigation firm Aon and died in the World Trade Center attacks. Anthony makes the pilgrimage from Hazlet to Ground Zero each year to honor his father, who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks. The family has been photographed together during the memorial visits, and Anthony is sometimes joined by his mother’s partner, Tommy Smith, and other relatives.
The Asbury Park Press contacted Café Grumpy about Pullis's account, and co-founder Caroline Bell apologized for the incident. Pullis said the barista seemed genuine and professional and that the restaurant pledged to let the worker go once a replacement could be found. "She seemed genuine, and she was very professional," Pullis said. The barista later declined to comment through the cafe. Pullis added that he holds no grudge against Café Grumpy and hopes the episode doesn’t overshadow the annual remembrance.
The episode arrives as political symbols intersect with remembrance events in New York and nationwide. The Ground Zero ceremony remains a solemn, ceremonial space, and some participants describe the presence of political symbols, including clothing, as a personal choice but one that can affect their experience. Private businesses, meanwhile, are allowed to enforce their own policies on customer interactions, and the public conversation continues about how to balance respect for the memorial with freedom of expression.