MENLO PARK — A candy store in Menlo Park is tanking in online ratings this week after a photo started circulating online of its owner attending Wednesday’s pro-Trump rally in Washington D.C., which escalated when a mob breached and stormed into the U.S. Capitol.
The photo shows Sugar Shack owner Suzi Tinsley posing outside in a crowd of people wearing what appears to be a President Donald Trump flag around her back like a cape, a red Trump hat, and a T-shirt that says “Make America Great Again.”
Tinsley is not wearing a mask in the photo.
A former customer and local activist, Henry Shane, 18, of Menlo Park, said in an interview Friday that people should boycott Tinsley’s store because she participated “in an anti-democracy protest to overturn a legal, fair election.”
Shane said he grew up going to Tinsley’s store and tolerates all political views, but Wednesday’s demonstration was not about a political viewpoint. It was about fascism and rejecting election results that had been upheld against legal challenges around the country, he said.
Tinsley did not immediately return requests for comment from this news organization Friday.
In written statements issued to ABC 7 News and NBC Bay Area, Tinsley said she did not participate in the violence and only attended the rally because it was going to be Trump’s last public appearance as president. The statement also said she didn’t post to social media about it.
“I was there for a peaceful march and shared photos via text with a few friends. I left the rally when the crowd became unruly and I was pushed to the ground. I returned to my hotel at that point, long before the agitators stormed the building,” Tinsley said.
“Just like every other American, I watched in horror as the chaos unfolded on television. I couldn’t believe my eyes and remain appalled at what I saw,” she said.
“I love my community, I love my country, and I hope those responsible for storming our Capitol building are held fully accountable,” Tinsley added.
To Shane, however, “anyone who took part in marching to the Capitol, even if you didn’t partake in the violence, you were participating in an anti-democracy action.”
After photos of Tinsley leaked and posts about her business made the rounds online, some people started leaving bad reviews about Sugar Shack on Yelp, calling the owner a “racist,” a “thug” and a “terrorist,” among other labels, and encouraging others to boycott the business.
The posts caught the attention of Yelp, which has temporarily suspended commenting on the page for Sugar Shack while it investigates whether the posts reflect “actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events,” the site said.
Others online and on the Peninsula are concerned about Tinsley not wearing a mask in the photo.
“I think a lot of people are more upset that she was in D.C. without a mask with thousands of different people, and then coming back to her community when we were all supposed to be on lockdown,” Rebecca Olson, a Palo Alto resident, said in an interview Friday.
“It’s wildly irresponsible,” she said.
But not everyone feels that Tinsley should face criticism or have her business boycotted because of her participation in the rally.
Carey Mitchell, who owns Yellow Dog Real Estate in Redwood City, stopped by Sugar Shack on Friday afternoon to put out flowers and signs of support for Tinsley, including one that read, “God Bless Sugar Shack.”
“You shouldn’t have your livelihood attacked for whatever belief system you have, across the board,” Mitchell said in an interview Friday.
“This was really just one small business owner supporting another small business owner,” she said of dropping off the items.
“I believe that a small business owner is being unfairly attacked just by being at a rally. And it’s just the same as a Black Lives Matter supporter at a protest or rally being blamed for the looters,” she said.
Mitchell said she doesn’t know Tinsley, but thinks those who attended the non-violent parts of the rally have a right to question the election results as part of their free speech.
“They probably felt that they were trying to stand up for democracy in their own minds, whether that’s true or not. I don’t think they believed they were participating in something that was anti-democratic,” she said.
But Olson said she doesn’t feel bad about the criticism Tinsley is getting or the potential impact on her business.
“It’s important to know who your small community business owners support politically because you should put your pocketbook behind who you believe in,” Olson said.
“She put herself out there,” Olson added. “She is who she is, she’s owning who she is to all of her friends, and now she’s upset that people are finding out.”
Staff photographer Karl Mondon contributed to this story.
