Stella under fire for requesting higher charges from Trump supporters
Stella, a Cajun and burger joint on 1006 Melrose, has experienced Yelp rating drops after charging more for customers that support Donald Trump rather than Hillary Clinton.
November 17, 2016
A frequented University Heights staple, Stella, has been the home for those seeking black-bean burgers and Cajun food in the Iowa City area. Within the last 24 hours, their Yelp rating has dropped from a 3.9/5 to a 1.2/5.
Over the weekend, the restaurant confirmed that they asked customers at the door who they voted for. Supposedly, if a customer replied with Trump, their cover charge was $10. If the customer replied with Clinton, their cover charge was the regular fee of $5. The West Side Story reached out to students who work at Stella, and was refused any comment.
Stella’s Yelp site currently has an “Active Cleanup” alert popup, which alerts visitors that the page reviews may not be representing actual visitor experiences.
“While we don’t take a stand one way or the other when it comes to these news events, we do work to remove both positive and negative posts that appear to be motivated more by the news coverage itself than the reviewer’s personal consumer experience with the business,” it reads.
Derek H. from Maryland wrote a review yesterday.
“They claim to be against discrimination. How do they fight against discrimination? By discriminating against people based on their vote. It’s the ultimate hypocrisy,” he said on Yelp. “People can also vote with their wallets. Regardless of political beliefs, I would highly recommend against this restaurant if you value your rights and you’re against discrimination.”
He isn’t alone, and hundreds of people from around the nation have spoken out against the restaurant.
“There were a bunch of centipedes in my food! Vicious predators! Ruined my Hillary election victory dinner,” said Eugene S. from California.
Management at Stella has yet to make any comment.