Man Removed From Restaurant After Customers Object to His T-Shirt

When Andy Ternay and his partner sat down for breakfast at the First Watch café in Richardson, Texas, they expected an ordinary outing. Instead, the visit ended with him being escorted out because of what he was wearing.

Ternay later described the encounter in a Facebook post. According to him, a manager approached their table shortly after they arrived, explaining that several diners were upset by the language on his shirt and were worried their children might see it. Ternay responded by saying that he, too, disliked having to explain certain crude statements—referencing comments made publicly by Donald Trump—to his own daughter.

The front of Ternay’s shirt boldly stated: “F* TRUMP AND F*** YOU FOR VOTING FOR HIM.”**
The back read: “F* THE RACIST ALT-RIGHT.”**

Ternay said the manager told him some patrons were “suffering” because of what they considered his “unbelievable lack of taste.” Ternay stood by his choice of clothing and didn’t believe he had violated any rules. After the couple had already placed their order and received drinks, the situation escalated when a cook came out and told them they needed to leave.

Before exiting, Ternay and his partner asked to tip their server and requested their drinks to go. As they walked out, one nearby table—described by Ternay as white customers—applauded. Out in the parking lot, a Black server from the restaurant followed them and revealed he had quit his job after seeing how Ternay was treated. According to Ternay, the server also said many customers had been requesting not to sit near Muslims.

Ternay told The Daily Beast that reactions to his shirt weren’t universally negative. Some customers of color, he said, complimented him, including a Latina woman at the register and two Black servers who said they appreciated the message.

He explained that he wore the shirt to make his stance on social issues clear to the people around him.
“I don’t want people of color, Muslims, LGBTQ folks, or immigrants to feel isolated,” he said. “If I’m going to have privilege, I should use it to support others and speak out.”

As they were leaving the parking lot, Ternay encountered a police officer. Curious, he stopped and asked whether she had been called because of his shirt. She confirmed that she had. When she began questioning him about it, Ternay cited Cohen v. California (1971)—a Supreme Court case that upheld the right to wear a jacket with the phrase “F*** THE DRAFT.” The officer ultimately told him to simply move along.

First Watch’s corporate office later released a statement saying the request for Ternay to leave had nothing to do with politics. According to them, the decision came from complaints about explicit language being displayed in a family-friendly environment.
They noted: “Just as small children cannot attend R-rated films with explicit language, we believe they should not be confronted with it in our restaurant. We acted within our right to refuse service.”

Photos posted to Ternay’s Facebook page show him wearing the shirt both front and back.

Despite the ordeal, Ternay said he didn’t intend to attack the café or encourage a boycott. His viral Facebook post—shared more than 42,000 times—sparked widespread debate online. But what struck him most were the private messages he received afterward.

“I’ve heard from African Americans who say they no longer trust their white neighbors,” he told The Daily Beast. “They’re not sure people around them will stand up for them. My shirt was a small way to show they’re not alone.”