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Logue, who was on the scene, wasted no time pulling out his phone to document the incident, knowing it would quickly become a newsworthy moment. “J.D. Vance’s SUV pulls up, Secret Service comes into the restaurant, Secret Service guards the area between the SUV and the entrance to the restaurant,” Logue explained. “JD Vance, he gets out, and then the manager runs out and yells at him and says, ‘you can’t come in here.’”
What’s more, Logue claims that the manager was acting on orders from the restaurant’s corporate headquarters, stating, “She’s on the phone with corporate headquarters. Corporate headquarters tells her he’s not allowed in Primanti Brothers.”
Tensions rose further as Vance’s team attempted to negotiate with the manager. Logue, who continued filming, said, “All of us, we’re pissed off. I see that there’s an obvious news event, so I started filming right away because I don’t want the crime party and fake news to come out and say, ‘oh no, JD wasn’t really banned, it was just a miscommunication or it was just done for safety.’ No, he was banned.”
The footage obtained by the C-SPAN reporter reveals the heated exchange between the restaurant’s manager and the assembled crowd. “No cameras, folks. No cameras. We’re not doing an event here,” the visibly upset manager can be heard saying. “I’ve explained this a bunch of times. Folks are welcome to come and have lunch, but we’re not having a campaign event here.”
In the aftermath of the incident, calls for a boycott of Primanti Brothers and its parent company, Authentic Restaurant Brands, have surged on social media. The company, which operates 43 Primanti Brothers locations across the United States, is facing backlash, particularly among conservative circles. Authentic Restaurant Brands also owns P.J. Whelihan’s, Pollotropical, and Mambo Seafood, making the boycott calls all the more widespread.
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To calm the growing storm, Primanti Brothers released a statement blaming the incident on a communication breakdown between Vance’s team and the restaurant manager. “Without any advance notice, today’s campaign stop caused some momentary confusion for our staff,” the company said. “However, Senator Vance and his team were welcomed into our restaurant shortly after and engaged with our guests inside and on the property.”
However, this official statement doesn’t entirely align with what eyewitnesses on the ground, including Logue, captured. According to the videos and testimonies from people present, Vance spent most of his time outside the restaurant, greeting his supporters in the parking lot. Vance made light of the situation, informing his followers that their food was paid for and that the staff was generously tipped. “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,” the restaurant’s statement continued, signaling a quick resolution.
Yet, the clash between Vance’s team and the restaurant management has left many with lingering questions about how the event transpired. Was this simply a case of miscommunication, or was there more at play as some have speculated?
As the story continues to spread, it’s clear this incident is far from over.
