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Restaurant Opposes Brexit, Staff Receive Death Threats

Westminster Kitchen includes a pro-immigration message on its bills, inviting a torrent of abuse online

Westminster Kitchen/Facebook

Staff at a Westminster restaurant which included a pro-immigration, anti-Brexit message at the foot of its bills have received death threats.

Westminster Kitchen, as reported by the i newspaper, printed the line “Brexit is bad. Immigrants make Britain great! They also cooked and served your food today” at the base of all receipts handed to customers.

Death threats have subsequently been aimed at the staff via pro-Brexit callers the restaurant’s owner Ibrahim Dogus has alleged.

The restaurant, which is situated close to some of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, including the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament, is apparently popular among politicians, as well as tourists.

Dogus told the i that staff had received abusive messages from callers and online users; a significant number of anti-immigration-edged reviews have also appeared online since. Dogus believes they are all bogus and have emerged only in light of the stance he has decided to take.

Dogus said that callers have tried to book under the name Tommy Robinson (the pseudonym given by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) before aiming verbal abuse and threats at his staff. “It has been a horrible few days and our staff feel worried about what’s happening,” he said. Since a picture of the receipt has been circulated online, and the frequency of abuse has increased, Dogus felt compelled to alert the police in order to try and guard against a potential attack on his premises.

He also confirmed that he would stand by his principles and not remove the message from receipts.

Westminster Kitchen

3A/B Belvedere Road, London, Greater London SE1 7GP