Owners of teriyaki restaurant trying to recover after 'misunderstanding' with police
SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. – A small town restaurant is doing its best to repair community relations after what the owner said was a miscommunication last week that went viral on social media.
The son of the owner of Lucky Teriyaki restaurant told two Skagit County sheriff’s deputies who were paying for their lunch there last Thursday that they were no longer welcome and to tell other law enforcement officers they were not welcome to eat there either, the Skagit County sheriff said on his Facebook page.
The sheriff shared the post on Facebook and it has garnered over 30,000 shares with more than 20,000 comments, many condemning the business and the family.
But the local police chief and the mayor of Sedro-Woolley have since stepped forward to try to repair the business’ reputation.
“Move on to the next thing, there’s no more story here,” said Mayor Keith Wagoner.
His message on Monday was simple, just let it go.
“The people are very open-minded and forgiving here,” said Wagoner. “I think that’s going to play out and this is going to be behind us soon.”
The controversy has gripped the small town for days.
Last week, the backlash from the viral post brought the owner to his knees. Mr. Li said the language barrier he and his son have from being Chinese immigrants created a big misunderstanding with the sheriff’s office. They told Q13 News last week that they were sorry for what was said, not understanding the impact the owner’s son’s comments would have.
“He love the policemen,” said Wen Wagoner, the mayor’s wife, who translated for the owner. As a Chinese-American, she helped the local family tell their story to reporters on Monday.
“There is so many negative comments going around, but that is not what represents the Lucky Teriyaki,” translated Wen.
Mr. Li said through Wagoner that he and his family have received hate mail and backlash for what his son said. Online, their Yelp page has been under observation by staff since Friday. More than 800 one-star reviews have been posted, since the sheriff’s Facebook post went viral.
“He just really appreciates the police help and clarifies on this misunderstanding,” said Wen for Mr. Li.
Q13 News reached out to the Skagit County sheriff, Will Reichardt, for comment on Monday. He told us his more recent Facebook post on Friday were his last words on the matter.
His post read:
"This morning I met with the owner of Lucky Teriyaki and his son. They apologized for the incident that made news yesterday, and expressed their desire to accept everyone to their business, including law enforcement officers associated with all offices and departments. I told both father and son that I was appreciative and grateful for their willingness to once again welcome everyone to visit their restaurant. And that it was my hope that this matter can quickly be put behind us all.
"Thank you to all of the citizens who expressed support for law enforcement in Skagit County. Please accept that this matter has been resolved to our satisfaction, and we encourage everyone to patronize Lucky Teriyaki."
“We’re hoping the business can rebound quick,” said Sedro-Woolley’s police chief, Lin Tucker, when asked about Lucky Teriyaki. “I don’t think the father knew any of this was going on and once it started had no idea the blossoming viral event this became,” he said. “I don’t think anyone really expected that.”
The mayor said he is hopeful for the small town and for the restaurant to recover from the statements made to law enforcement.
Not every public interaction has been negative for the Li family in the last few days. On Monday, a local immigrant family donated a large sum of cash to help support the restaurant. In a letter addressed to Lucky Teriyaki, it said they felt Thursday was an accident and hoped the money would offset the costs associated with lost business.
Q13 News was told the family said they would not accept the cash; instead they plan to use it in the Sedro-Woolley community, giving it to someone else in need of help.