Tamboli argued that the presence of the Tennessee National Guard as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force has created fear among local residents rather than making the city safer. He also pointed to criticism surrounding the federal task force and referenced the recent fatal shooting involving National Guard members and a civilian—an incident that remains under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
In a lengthy statement provided to Action News 5, Tamboli defended his decision and insisted he would make the same choice again.
He wrote:
“On Saturday night we declined to serve four uniformed members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, and I stand behind that decision completely.
I love this country and I love this city, and that is exactly why I made this call. I want Memphis to be safe. Every business owner does. And the honest truth is that Memphis was already getting safer before this Task Force ever arrived.
Crime was at a 25-year low through the first eight months of 2025, according to the Memphis Police Department’s own data, later confirmed by an independent Tennessee Bureau of Investigation audit. That progress was earned by the people of this city. It was not delivered by soldiers.
What the Task Force has actually done is make this city harder to live in. Its own records show that the overwhelming majority of its arrests began with routine traffic stops, not violent crime. Families in this city are now afraid to drive to work, afraid to take their kids to school, afraid to be seen.
Our own schools reported that fear drove children to stop showing up to class. And this month a 20-year-old Memphian named Tyrin Johnson was shot and killed by National Guard troops during a foot chase, with no body camera footage and no answers for his family. None of that makes us safer. It makes us less safe, and it does the most damage to the people who were already struggling.
Being pro-safety means telling the truth about what actually protects a community, and it is not soldiers trained for combat doing the work of police officers.
That mismatch is dangerous for the people of Memphis and dangerous for the troops themselves, who were sent here to do a job they were never trained for.
The founders wrote their objection to standing armies among the people into the Declaration of Independence itself, because they understood that a free country does not let the military police its own citizens. That principle is older than any political party, and I am not willing to abandon it because it became inconvenient.
Months ago I joined dozens of other local businesses in a public commitment to stand against the military policing our streets, an act of patriotism and conscience both, and I would make the same decision tomorrow.”
The controversy quickly intensified after Roy Tamboli, the restaurant owner’s father, publicly defended his son’s actions and attempted to explain the reasoning behind the decision.
Roy Tamboli wrote:
“I support my son Miles at Tamboli’s, who explained his opinion here:
‘I have friends in the NG and I have respect for them. They do really important work in national defense and disaster response—and that’s what they’re trained for. In a defense capacity, they are trained to kill, not to de-escalate. That’s why they shouldn’t be here. Turning them away is a protest against that, not against them as people. At the end of the day, I’m sorry those boys didn’t get their pizza, but I’m sure they will be okay.’
I also understand that without social media hatred, the tech giants would not be billionaires. Internet addiction is the new plantation that many are struggling to escape from.”
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The decision has fueled a fierce debate online, with many Americans expressing support for the Guardsmen while criticizing the restaurant for refusing service to military personnel in uniform. Supporters of the National Guard argue that the soldiers were simply trying to eat dinner after carrying out their assigned duties and should not have been singled out because of their uniforms.
The incident also comes as the Memphis Safe Task Force continues to receive praise from supporters who point to its law enforcement results. The multi-agency operation, launched under President Donald Trump’s administration and involving the Tennessee National Guard, U.S. Marshals, and other federal partners, has reportedly resulted in more than 10,000 arrests, the seizure of over 1,700 illegal firearms, the recovery of missing children, and significant reductions in violent crime across Memphis.
Backers of the operation argue those numbers demonstrate the effectiveness of the task force, despite continued opposition from Democratic officials and activist groups who have questioned the military’s role in assisting law enforcement.
The four National Guard members turned away from Tamboli’s Pizza & Pasta are the same type of service members who have been deployed to help combat violent crime throughout Memphis. Supporters say they have placed themselves in harm’s way to protect local communities, including during recent operations involving armed suspects.
For many critics, the restaurant’s decision to deny the Guardsmen a simple meal—and the subsequent defense offered by both the owner and his father—has become a symbol of the growing political divide surrounding law enforcement and public safety in America.
