“How Donald Trump Lost His DC Restaurants”
“All of that started to fall apart on June 16, 2015 — the now-infamous day that Donald Trump launched his White House bid with three sentences about Mexican immigrants that we’re still talking about more than a year later: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”. . .
Ivanka also spoke to Andrés: “I said, ‘You know, it’s America. You’re entitled to your political views…as is my father.’ ”
But to a Spanish immigrant who had arrived in the US in 1991 with $50 and his cooking knives — a chef whose story epitomized the American dream — the situation was a disaster. Over the past 25 years, Andrés has built an empire of 20-plus restaurants — one of which is in Mexico. He popularized now-ubiquitous small plates, published cookbooks, appeared on TV. Moreover, he’s an advocate against global hunger and poverty, a friend to other liberal causes, and a regular collaborator with the Obama administration — including, yes, on the issue of immigration reform…
Guajardo recalls Andrés responding unequivocally: “He said, ‘You know how many busboys I have? How many people are out in the fields picking the produce I serve in my restaurants? You know how many customers I have who are Mexican? I would never live with myself to know that I’m associating myself with somebody who demeans them in that way.’…
The Trumps sued Andrés’s company on July 31, 2015, and Zakarian’s company three days later. The chefs’ companies- filed countersuits on October 7 and September 15, respectively. As of press time, none of the suits had been resolved. Among the issues at play are whether the restaurants would have actually suffered as a result of Trump’s campaign rhetoric and how much the hotel might suffer because of the chefs’ mutiny.”
So, DC is FULL of Jose Andres restaurants, and they are excellent but my impression of their owner was that he was a natural ego and brand-oriented (like, he covers the menu and the leftovers bags and the napkins with quotes by him about success ). I wouldn’t have expected him to take such a strong stand.
Also, more than anything, this article made me really hungry for DC foods.
