Denver restaurant Sap Sua drew public scrutiny last Tuesday after social media exchanges on Instagram revealed an account associated with the establishment stating that “Jews are welcome, Zionists are not.”
The Jewish Alliance of Colorado and StopDontShop, an initiative from the antisemitism watchdog group StopAntisemitism dedicated to “exposing antisemitic businesses and owners,” shared a post on Instagram on Sunday that included a since-removed screenshot of a comment by the restaurant’s account that proclaimed “Jews are welcome, Zionists are not.”
Both organizations released a statement saying, “Colorado residents, beware: Steer clear of Vietnamese restaurant Sap Sua. Owners Anna and Ni Nguyen say ‘Zionists’ aren’t welcome, effectively excluding the overwhelming majority of Jews. Is this discriminatory policy legal in Colorado?”
The controversy began when the restaurant’s official Instagram account posted an image featuring the phrase “From the river to the sea, Falastine will be free.” When some on Instagram questioned the post and asked if Jewish or Israeli patrons would feel safe in the establishment, the restaurant responded in the comment section by stating that “everyone is welcome at Sap Sua, except for anyone who aligns with the genocidal Apartied (sic) ethno-supremacist regime of Israel.”
Sap Sua owner commented on Instagram, perpetrating 9/11 conspiracy theories
Another Instagram user criticized the restaurant by writing that they had aligned themselves with those “who cheered 25 years ago tomorrow when 3,000 innocent Americans were murdered for no reason.” In response to the reference to the September 11 terrorist attacks, the restaurant’s co-chef and owner, Anthony Ni Nguyen replied by asserting that “it was nine Israelis who were dancing and celebrating.”
Following the exchanges online, Ni Nguyen posted a video on Instagram. In the video, he said, “A few days ago I posted this: ‘From the river to the sea, Falastine will be free.’ And it generated a lot of discussion. Well, not discussion, more of rancid, putrid hate coming from Zionists. So I just want to come back on here to say with my whole chest, F*** Israel, Free Palestine, F*** Pink, Free Macklemore.”
In a statement to The Jerusalem Post, StopAntisemitism said, “Substituting the word ‘Zionist’ does not make blanket exclusion of Jews any less discriminatory. We urge Colorado Attorney-General Phil Weiser to examine whether their policy violates Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws. Colorado residents should also think twice before patronizing any establishment that openly embraces this kind of bigotry.”
Sap Sua did not respond to a request for comment by press time.