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A small business owner near Minneapolis said both employees and customers fear ICE activity in the area.
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He worries about the safety of his employees, who sometimes miss shifts to avoid immigration officials.
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National activists are encouraging another economic blackout to protest ICE activity.
This essay is based on a conversation with Michael Knox, co-owner of Toma Mojo Grill near Minneapolis. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
I run a fast casual chicken restaurant in Richfield, Minnesota, a suburb just south of Minneapolis.
With ICE agents in the area, I don’t know when – or if – staff will be able to come to work. We all have pretty set schedules, and we’re tight-knit. There are only six of us operating this place seven days a week. And my concern is: Will my employees stop on their way to work? Will they be hassled or detained? Will they return?
It’s a day-to-day thing. Over the past few weeks, we have adjusted our hours, opening later and closing earlier. I’m picking up everyone’s shifts, but I can’t physically work 16 hours a day, seven days a week. We had to close last week so I could have a day off. I had a doctor’s appointment that I couldn’t miss.
Some of my employees do not feel comfortable leaving their homes. If they tell me they can’t come to the restaurant, my policy, of course, is “no questions asked.” i understand But I am not a rich businessman. If we don’t serve our food to guests, there’s no money coming in, and we can’t pay people. I wish we were in a place where we could offer better PTO benefits, but we’re not. That was difficult.
We’re just trying to keep our people safe and make our employees comfortable. We have a large bay window at the front of the restaurant that overlooks the entire kitchen. I’m going to make some modifications to the space that will make it harder to see inside. We don’t know who’s watching anymore, or what their motives are. We put in cameras that we didn’t have before – we need to have a record of what happens here.
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ICE agents are bad for business, why do they come to restaurants
I worry that ICE agents will come to my business to kidnap my staff. I am also concerned that they will come to enjoy the hospitality, and that is going to reach the public. I can only do what I think is best for me, my staff and the restaurant. ICE agents are bad for business no matter which way they come.
Last week, my sales were down about 40% year over year. There are fewer delivery drivers and gig workers, so our takeout food is sitting longer before pickup. Our walk-in business is also suffering: after the sun goes down, we’re seeing an almost noticeable drop in sales. This did not happen before. Now I have regulars that I haven’t seen in weeks.
I went on strike last week with my friends and family to express our displeasure with the situation. My staff and I thought it was important to close that day as well. Closing a restaurant on a Friday in January is devastating. It’s a busy day, the day that pays for the rest of the week. That’s a big sacrifice – but I know it’s important.
What is happening in Minneapolis should frighten every American. There is a very real, widespread fear about what will happen next. This is bad for business. That is bad for life. And I’m worried that there will be more loss of life.
Small business owners are brave people. It takes a lot of guts to put something you really want to do on the line, to offer a product or service that you think is worth charging money for. They are not the quiet type. I’m not surprised they’re talking.
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