“We want to address the statements made publicly so there is clarity and accuracy.

On Friday evening, we received both a phone call and an email regarding a serious allegation involving two 16-year-old guests. We immediately treated this with the utmost seriousness. As parents, business owners, and employers, our family dropped everything and spent several hours reviewing more than two hours of security footage from every available camera angle that same night.

The following morning, we invited the girls’ father to come in before opening so he could review the footage with us directly. He agreed and met with Alexis, Aidan, and Steve. We all watched the same footage together.

That footage does not show any employee making inappropriate gestures, comments, or “licking lips” toward anyone. No employee is seen behaving in a sexual, suggestive, or harassing manner. We also spoke individually with every front- and back-of-house employee, all of whom denied the allegations.

What is visible on video is that the cooks’ line of sight faces forward toward order tickets and the food pass window. From the guest side, this can create a perception of staring, but it is consistent with normal kitchen workflow. This was explained calmly and respectfully.

To provide additional transparency, Alexis invited the father into the kitchen to see the cooks’ perspective firsthand. At that point, the situation escalated. He became verbally aggressive toward staff and began yelling. For the safety of everyone involved, Aidan asked him to leave the kitchen area. No one was assaulted, and no one was forcibly removed.

Concerned about the escalating tone, Steve suggested calling the police as a neutral third party to help de-escalate the situation. The father agreed. When officers arrived, the situation was explained to them in full. The police asked if we wished to have him removed or pursue further action. We declined. Our only objective was to calmly review the footage and explain our findings.

As the review continued, the father became increasingly loud. At that point, police asked him to leave the premises. No charges were filed. No wrongdoing was found.

A statement attributed to Steve claiming he “can’t tell employees not to look at people” has been taken out of context. What was explained is that employees must look forward while working to read tickets and prepare food. That explanation was about workflow and visibility, not dismissing concerns or excusing misconduct.

To be absolutely clear:

• We never dismissed the allegation without investigation

• We reviewed hours of video from every angle

• We invited the father in to review the footage himself

• There is no video evidence supporting the claims

• We would never protect or excuse behavior that made anyone uncomfortable

We are genuinely sorry that these young guests felt uncomfortable. That matters to us. At the same time, we cannot discipline or terminate employees based on allegations that are not supported by evidence.

Out of respect for the minors involved, we will not release video footage publicly.

We stand by our staff, our process, and our commitment to providing a safe environment for every guest who walks through our doors.”