SF restaurant owner says Bernie Sanders was rude to his staff and refused to take pictures: 'He did not even shake hands'
Vermont Senator and 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders was slammed by a famous California restaurant's owner, who called Sanders "cranky" and "rude" to staff during a dinner with his campaign team in San Francisco on Thursday.
Sanders was reportedly in San Francisco to attend the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting last week when the incident occurred. He stopped by the famous John’s Grill in Union Square with his entourage to dine at the eatery. However, the owner of the 111-year-old restaurant, John Konstin, was not impressed by the Senator's decorum, according to Politico. The Democrat reportedly declined to shake hands or pose for pictures, and was "rude" to staff.
Konstin, while talking to the outlet, said: "It was all very nice, except for cranky Bernie. He was just rude, not friendly. I think he was hungry and just didn’t want to be a politician. He lost my vote."
John’s Grill spokesperson, Lee Houskeeper, also released a statement, saying that it was unlike Konstin to speak publicly and negatively about one of his patrons. He insisted that his interaction must have been particularly bad for him to be publicly vocal about his displeasure, San Francisco Chronicle reported.
"Bernie had to be in a terrible mood," Houskeeper said. "Anyone in the public eye needs to understand when it's time to order room service." Houskeeper, however, said that Sanders did leave a tip, and during their exit from the premises his wife Jane Sanders apologized to the staff for her husband's demeanor.
The legendary eatery first opened in 1908 and became popular after being used as a back-drop in Dashiell Hammett’s ‘The Maltese Falcon’, in 1941. Multiple politicians, over the decades, have come to the restaurant with hundreds of photos of them adorning its wood-paneled walls.
At least 13 2020 presidential hopefuls attended the three-day DNC event in California, with their itinerary including caucus, council meetings, and committees. During these three days, John's Grill also hosted a party, which included the attendance of Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Konstin described them as "pure class."