The Croissanterie in Little Rock has issued a statement responding to reports that it asked Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave after lunch, attributing the request to a standard 90-minute table policy and denying any political motivation amid conflicting employee accounts.
In a statement to KARK following initial reports on March 19 that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave The Croissanterie in Little Rock while dining with two friends, the restaurant clarified that a member of her security detail was quietly asked to conclude the visit per their standard 90-minute table policy. Ownership emphasized there was no disruption, no political motivation, and that the matter was unrelated to employee safety concerns initially cited—later clarifying those claims. They also addressed reports of an inappropriate gesture, stating it involved a customer, not staff, and has been handled internally.
This follows Sanders' account, published by The Daily Wire, that the owner approached her security citing staff feeling 'threatened and uncomfortable' due to her presence. As the group left, reports described shouting of 'It’s time to leave' and obscene gestures from a group, though not attributed to staff. An employee posted on Facebook criticizing Sanders as 'evil' and expressing pride in their identity and stance.
The incident echoes Sanders' 2018 experience as White House press secretary when asked to leave the Red Hen in Virginia, which closed permanently in 2023. Social media reactions criticized the restaurant, drawing Red Hen comparisons, with some hoping for its failure and commentators calling it unclassy.
