This Brooklyn Restaurant is Supporting Immigrants in the Best Way

Brooklyn’s restaurant Kiwiana is unexpectedly making history on Twitter thanks to writer Mary Emily O’Hara. After having brunch at the Park Slope gastro pub last Sunday, she noticed a #MAGA (#Making America Great Again) at the end of her receipt that reads: “Immigrants make America great (they also cooked your food and served you today)”. She tweeted the picture and saw an overwhelming number of positive responses.

Chef and owner Mark Simmons is taking a stand on immigration by printing the legend in all his checks, reminding his patrons that any restaurant in New York is a perfect sample of the American melting pot. As in most restaurants, the staff in this Park Slope hip establishment is diverse and multicultural. Mark Simmons, Top Chef alum, is an immigrant from New Zealand himself, who came to U.S. to share his native-inspired dishes.

Chef Simmons told DNAinfo: “I added that message to the bottom of the receipts recently, to remind ourselves [and] our costumers that immigrants are quite often the backbone of our hospitality industry”. This is an important message given the political panorama that we are facing under the new administration, with regards to talking about the food and ingredients that we are eating. Moreover, the message focuses on the cook who is adding his particular regional touch as much as the server that brings the food to our table.

As simple as this might be, the receipt message and its response speak volumes of how many people feel. It is a friendly reminder to be kind to each other and appreciative of the diversity between us. 

Check out the receipt below:

Breakfast in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/JHEtfJhqPO

— Mary Emily O’Hara (@MaryEmilyOHara) February 5, 2017