JD Vance turned away from Pittsburgh sandwich shop

Primanti Bros risked boycott from supporters of Republican before it reversed course, blaming ‘momentary confusion’

A sandwich shop made a meal out of an unannounced visit by JD Vance, turning the vice-presidential candidate away during a campaign pitstop.
The senator attempted to gain entry into Primanti Bros in North Versailles, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but was denied by staff, alarmed at the sudden arrival of his entourage.
The 90-year-old business subsequently reversed course to serve Mr Vance and his team, avoiding threats of a boycott from customers inside the store who had wanted to meet Donald Trump’s running mate.
Mr Vance told supporters outside in the parking lot afterwards that the outlet and its staff were blameless, calming down any tensions. Pennsylvania is a key swing state in the November election and the last thing Mr Vance – or the restaurant for that matter – will have wanted is a riot over a sandwich in a state where every vote will count.
He said: “The manager just freaked out a little bit because there were a lot of people, and she didn’t want to make her restaurant part of a campaign stop.
“We went in there. We paid for everybody’s food. We gave them a nice tip. And of course when I gave them a nice tip I said ‘no taxes on top’.”
Pacifying his supporters, he added: “It’s alright. Don’t hold it against her. She just got a little nervous. It’s a great local business. Keep on supporting it.”
In a statement Primanti Bros said the restaurant prided itself on being “a staple of the Pittsburgh community and a proud American business that has hosted sitting presidents, politicians, and political candidates from across the spectrum for over 90 years. Our doors are open to all patrons who wish to dine with us”.
The statement added: “Without any advance notice, today’s campaign stop caused some momentary confusion for our staff. However, Senator Vance and his team were welcomed into our restaurant shortly after and engaged with our guests inside and on the property.
“Senator Vance’s supportive comments that our manager got a little nervous given the Secret Service, police and crowd accurately reflect the nature of what occurred, and we are glad that it was resolved quickly.”
The “momentary” refusal to serve Mr Vance and his team had threatened to cause turmoil.
Before the situation was resolved, one customer posted a video online, suggesting that Primanti would be facing a boycott.
In the video the woman said: “The kitchen crew’s running out because everyone’s cancelling their orders… We’re just paying for what we drink and then everyone’s leaving.
“Unfortunately, Vance cannot come out of his car, cannot shake our hands because Primanti Brothers does not want him in here.”