Restaurant manager denies service to man in 'MAGA' hat, then receives brutal lesson from his boss

A manager at a popular seafood restaurant in Vancouver, Canada, learned an unforgettable lesson from his boss after he denied service to a customer wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the restaurant.

What happened?

Up until this week, Darin Hodge was a manager at the Teahouse in Stanley Park in Vancouver, one of the city's most popular seafood establishments. By Thursday, he was out of a job.

It all started when a patron donning the "MAGA" hat sat down for dinner on Tuesday. When Hodge, the manager on duty at the time, spotted the man outside on the restaurant's patio, he confronted the pro-Trump customer, according to CBC News.

Andy Crimp, the restaurant's general manager, explained to CBC that Hodge demanded the man remove his "MAGA" hat — or be refused service.

"[The customer] said he had a right to wear it. [Hodge] said if you don't take the hat off, we won't serve you. And the man left," Crimp said.

Crimp said the restaurant, owned by The Sequoia Company, had no choice but to fire Hodge. Ironically, the manager was fired for violating the company's "philosophy of tolerance."

"[Hodge] was aware what he was doing was probably contrary to our values and our philosophy as a company in terms of hospitality and inclusiveness. We don't discriminate against people based on political beliefs," Crimp explained.

Does Hodge have any regrets?

He told various news outlets in a statement that he holds no regret over his actions.

He said:

I stand by my decision The MAGA hat has come to symbolize racism, bigotry, Islamophobia, misogyny, white supremacy, [and] homophobia. As a person with a strong moral backbone, I had to take a stand against this guest's choice of headwear while in my former place of work. Absolutely no regrets.

What's happening now?

When news of the manager's anti-Trump bigotry broke, the restaurant's Yelp page quickly filled with one-star reviews relating to Hodge's actions. Some people were upset over Hodge's actions, while others lashed out at the restaurant for firing Hodge.

"I have no respect for this restaurant after firing the manager who asked a patron to remove his MAGA hat. The manager took a stand against fascism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, authoritarianism, corruption, and kleptocracy," one person wrote.

"Management here practices discrimination and bigotry. Will be cancelling my daughter's bachelorette party of 50 after learning of this despicable behavior," another wrote.

"Trump supporting owner. Absolutely should not support a restaurant with such horrible morals," another person said.