Cops outraged as bakery refuses to serve officers armed or in uniform

Cops might be known for their love of donuts, but they won’t be getting them from this San Francisco bakery.

Local cops have been left with a bad taste in their mouths as the bakery refuses to serve officers who are armed or in uniform.

A local chain of Arab restaurants and bakeries, Reem's California, has a policy against serving anyone with a weapon on them.

And the San Francisco Police Officers’ Association (SFPOA) were seemingly not happy with the decision, and took to X - formerly known as Twitter - to complain.

“NO COPS ALLOWED. That’s the confirmed policy of the bakery chain Reem’s,” they wrote on 24 August.

“One of our officers was denied service last weekend because he was in uniform. Reem’s confirms that they will not serve anyone armed and in uniform."

Twitter/@SanFranciscoPOA

They then added: “Presumably, this includes members of the US Military.”

Also included was a screenshot of an apparent email from the bakery, which said: "At Reems, we do have a policy to not serve anyone that is armed in a uniform."

In a follow-up tweet, SFPOA called the policy ‘bigoted’ and ‘discriminatory’ as they asked the local chain to put up a sign to warn other officers to 'not spend money' at their stores.

And Reem’s California has since responded.

In a lengthy statement on Instagram, the bakery said it has ‘a deep commitment to uplifting social and racial justice in our communities’.

“This includes fostering an environment of safety for our staff and customers. In a time of increased gun violence — particularly impacting people of color, youth, and queer people — we believe that maintaining a strict policy of prohibiting guns in our restaurant keeps us safer.” the post continued.

Instagram/Reem's California

“Many members of our community have been impacted by gun violence, whether that be an experience on the streets of San Francisco or Oakland, having come from war or occupation, or having increased fear due to a growing climate of political extremism.

“All too often, black and brown people, and poor people are the victims of this violence…At Reem’s we aim to provide a space where people can eat delicious Arab food and work together to strengthen our community, without fear of violence or harassment."

The statement concluded: “We invite our community to step up and join us in creating that culture of care and resilience.”

A representative for Reems also told Mission Local that off-duty officers are welcome in their stores.

"This policy is for armed officers, and we let police officers know that we welcome them back to our establishment when they’re off-duty and unarmed." they said.

UNILAD had reached out to Reem’s California and the SFPOA for further comment.