Davanni’s apologizes after Republicans questioned by staff at Edina location

A longtime Twin Cities pizza chain has apologized following an incident with a group of Republican members at one of its locations this weekend.

It happened Saturday at the Davanni’s located just off Highway 100 in Edina, where a group of Minnesota Republicans were approached by staff members because of their political clothing.

The group, members of The Senate District 50 (SD-50) Republican Party, were seeking out pizza and drinks at the restaurant after attending their party’s annual convention nearby in Minneapolis.

The SD-50 GOP tweeted, “we were told they did not allow ‘political organizing'” at the restaurant. However, the party says the group were just there for food and drinks after the convention.

One of those in attendance, Minnesota Republican National Committeeman AK Kamara, told FOX 9 that he was wearing an American flag hat and other members were wearing “Make America Great Again” hats.

An employee approached them after they had eaten and told them that political meetings were against restaurant policy, with Kamara telling FOX it “made me feel we were being discriminated against on the basis of who we support politically.”

On Sunday morning, the party announced in a tweet that it was “in the process of organizing a meeting with Davannis (sic) and the staff member involved to resolve the situation.”

“We are hoping it can be a learning experience for all,” the tweet said.

Later Sunday, Davanni’s posted an apology on social media:

“Over the weekend, our team in Edina misunderstood a policy around fundraising efforts in our party rooms which resulted in an incident that impacted valued guests,” the company said. “We’re deeply sorry for the actions taken.”

“We have taken quick action to understand, resolve and work on expanded training for our team members. We take pride in supporting our communities and will continue to live by our values each day.”

Davanni’s is also asking anyone directly impacted by the incident to reach out at davannis.com/contact.

The local pizza chain dates back to the 1970s, when it first opened as Portillo’s. Growing popularity and the need for a “name that could be trademarked” led to a rebrand as Davanni’s in the 1980s, according to the company’s website.

The chain has since grown to nearly two dozen locations around the metro.