NORTH TRURO, Mass. — Montano’s in North Truro is feeling an unexpected financial hit heading into an already much slower season.
Owner Ed Medeiros explains that in late August, the restaurant received a call to host a meet-and-greet, forum-style event for Mike Minogue, the republican candidate running for governor, and Tyler Macallister, who is running for Congress.
He says, like any other party reservation, the restaurant accepted.
He estimates 80 or 90 people showed up and says the event went on without a hitch back on September 16th.
It’s what came in the days after the event that he never expected.
“We got bombarded,” Medeiros told Boston 25 News.
Never in his wildest imagination did Medeiros ever think the result of agreeing to host the event would be a blacklisted business.
He says the restaurant has received everything from hateful messages on social media to fake 911 calls reporting emergencies at the restaurant or on the surrounding property, to threats against him personally.
“...social media people were telling me, someone said put a swastika on the side of your building,” he explained.
“They had to call in the state troopers with the helicopter and do a heat sensor to see if a body was out there,” he added.
“The personal attacks of people telling me they are going to come to my house is uncalled for,” Medeiros said.
In less than two weeks, he says the restaurant has taken a costly blow.
“It’s gotten to the point where it cost our business in the past 11 now 12 days, almost $52,000 in revenue. People just didn’t show up,” he said.
Medeiros, who takes pride in committing to stay open year-round for locals, fears that may not be possible after this.
“You know, we’re the only restaurant that stays open in the winter there. Everyone else says ‘thank you very much, I made a ton of money in seven months, I don’t need to work the other five’ but the tradition of this restaurant, when I bought it, was to stay open in the winter and be somewhere for locals to go, so I do.”
Medeiros, who also lives in the area half the year, is in disbelief over the extreme backlash.
He says it was never meant to be political and that it was strictly business.
Doubling down to Boston 25, saying he’d gladly host democratic candidates, too.
“I don’t care who asks as long as they’re peaceful and they’re not going to destroy my place they can come in there and have a party I don’t discriminate at all,” he said.
“We welcome everyone, I’m not being political. Keep your own beliefs and let people say what they say but be nice about it. This is America, we all have an opinion,” he added.
He also wants people to know that this isn’t just affecting him or the business. He says he can no longer give his staff the hours, so they aren’t getting paid either.
It’s his hope that the community will start to support the restaurant again sooner rather than later.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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