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Big Sky Cafe closes for ‘Day Without Immigrants’

February 16, 2017

As part of a nationwide protest against United States President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, Big Sky Cafe in downtown San Luis Obispo is keeping its doors closed Thursday.

Greg Holt, co-owner of the restaurant, released a statement Wednesday saying it is necessary for his business to take part in the “Day Without Immigrants.” Holt said his staff is largely comprised of immigrants, and he has to do what he feels is right.

“In support of my largely immigrant staff at Big Sky Cafe, I have chosen to close tomorrow, February 16th, in support of ‘A day without immigrants. My people are just too important. As my wife reminded me, One Big Sky covers us all equally, we feel that staying open undermines that motto and everything Big Sky stands for,” Holt said in the statement. “We are nothing without our people.

“I know that a lot of people might not support this decision, my bankers and creditor included, but we just have to do what we feel is right. We apologize to all of our guests for any and all inconvenience. We will open again on Friday at 7:00 a.m. and hope we see you all there.”

Many business nationwide are remaining closed Thursday, while some others are contributing part of their proceeds from the day to pro-immigration groups. Likewise, many employees are skipping work and students are skipping class. Marches and other demonstrations are taking place, as well.


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I ate there twice, highly over priced below average food. They should stay closed. Go to Lincoln deli instead.


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I have heard good things about the Lincoln deli, need to give them a try.


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Mr. Holt is performing some nice virtue signalling here. Hope people see right through it.


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Hooray for your courage in following your conscience.


Way too little of that these days. Or, worse still, very little conscience that so many seem to have.


What runs our lives and is overly rampant at the new swamp in DC is greed, simple greed. They will not drain the swamp, they will drain our resources to pay for their greed.


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Don’t forget Sacramento, plenty of greed up there too, and I am afraid they too will only drain the taxpayers.


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What? So greed in DC started Jan 20, 2017? What universe are you in?


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Wake up Pete and smell the b.s. your shoveling.


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Why do so many insist that those of us that believe in upholding our laws are “anti-immigrant”. I am pro-immigrant, but anti-illegal-immigrant. That does not make me a racist, or anti-immigrant, or xenophobic.


I am not a racist, but if I espouse my support for our President, then I am called a racist. If one calls me a racist without fact, then one is displaying ignorance. I endeavor to tolerate ignorance, but my tolerance has limits.


Mr. Holt can choose to close his restaurant in support of causes. I can choose to avoid his establishment.


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Who called you a racist CalcoastDan?


I don’t believe Mr. Holt came close to touching that subject. All you can glean from this article is that he cares about his worker’s well being and acknowledges their importance to his business.


I wonder do you endeavor to tolerate your own ignorance? Does it have limits as well?


It appears you are boycotting this restaurant because of his support of immigrants. You must assume that he supports illegal immigrants otherwise why boycott?


The only thing you can discern from the article is this man holds the same position you do–he’s pro-immigrant.


Boycotting something or someone based solely on assumptions makes you ignorant. That much we do know.


But one does have to wonder; doth thou protest too much?


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I did not suggest that anyone associated with this article or commenters called me a racist, MrYan. However, the article starts with the sentence… “As part of a nationwide protest against United States President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, Big Sky Cafe in downtown San Luis Obispo is keeping its doors closed Thursday.”


I am sure you are aware that many of the lefty-loons claim President Trump’s immigration polices are racist. That is why I lead with the question as to why so many equate a desire for controlled borders and immigration policy to be a racist position. I did not cite any specific incident of being called racist, but instead referred to “one” that cries racism without evidence.


No, I am not boycotting the restaurant because of his pro-immigrant position, I am choosing to avoid his business because he chooses to take a public, political position “against United States President Donald Trump’s immigration policies”. So, your inference as to why I would prefer to avoid Mr. Holt’s restaurant is wrong. I would just rather spend my dollars with restaurants that don’t feel a need to make political statements.


Perhaps you missed my point, but being pro-immigrant and pro-border control are not not mutually exclusive. Too often the left claims a moral high ground by immediately proclaiming that any citizen that supports border control is doing so with race as motive. That ploy gets old, and wears thin.


So, it seems you jumped to assumptions about my motives. I simply took the author at their word — that Mr. Holt was protesting President Trump’s policies. He has a right to do so. I have a right to avoid him.


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CalcoastDan, you responded to the article as though you’ve been called a racist.


“I am pro-immigrant, but anti-illegal-immigrant. That does not make me a racist, or anti-immigrant, or xenophobic.

I am not a racist, but if I espouse my support for our President, then I am called a racist”…..


….isn’t there a Jeff Foxworthy joke here somewhere?


Again, no one called you a racist so why respond as though you were?


You stretched it there because the owner has political beliefs different than you.


I certainly don’t believe all of Trumps supporter’s are racist. I have a few in my family.


But there are more than a number of Trump supporter’s who are racist. You cannot deny that either.


Unfortunately I was raised to believe that you can become tarnished by the company you keep. I guess you’re dealing with the outgrowth of that belief.


I agree with you about business people expressing political beliefs…not good marketing. period.


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Instead of making a political statement the owners should spend their time making better food. There is a lot of competition in this town for the restaurant customer and more coming every day. I prefer restaurants with good food that leaves politics at home.


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I think we should all be able to be equal with immigrants. I think we should each get to break the law and face no consequence just like the supporters of the immigrants” feel the immigrants should. I mean really if the law isn’t equal for everyone, then it doesn’t sound like the law. There must be some laws that are broken consistently and repeatedly that it would be great to get a pass on; maybe we could put together a list of offenses American citizens can break without recourse. Anytime it comes up that someone broke one of those laws, we can just shrug our shoulders and let it go.

Get a clue, people can come here; there’s a process, if they follow it they can stay. If they break the law, they break the law and need to go break the law where they were born.


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I have a question for Mr. Holt. What are you paying your employee’s? Are you paying them a decent high wage? I would assume so if you are finding this whole thing against immigrants unfair, because if you only pay minimum or low wage, then wouldn’t you be taking advantage of those same immigrants you care about?


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BeenThere: How would his paying minimum wage be taking advantage?


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No more taking advantage of than this whole immigrant b.s. NO one has said no immigrants, they have said no ILLEGAL immigrants. If he is SOOO concerned about immigrants, is he paying them with raises regularly?


Back to the minimum wage thing for a minute though, I didn’t say taking advantage of that is the whole screaming left that has. Have you been living in a cave for the last 2 years? Heard about McDonalds? Wal-Mart? Should I go on?


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We were once all immigrants – some without consent.

HOORAY for the RESITANCE!

Who is gonna pick your strawberries?


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No, not all of us are immigrants. Total logic FAIL.


BTW, robots probably will be picking strawberries soon.


Lastly, get over the election-your side lost and this ‘Resistance’ stuff makes you and people like-minded look like utter, absolute idiots. If you don’t like what is going on work for change on a legal basis, not from mob tactics.


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“Who is gonna pick your strawberries.” We no longer care. It’s not right to treat an entire group of people as slaves just so you can buy cheap strawberries.


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Remember, without immigrants, the population of the US would be ZERO!


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Remember, without immigrants, Donald Trump wouldn’t have two of his three wives!


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