A premier Los Angeles restaurant is facing intense online backlash after one of its owners appeared to voice his and his wife\u2019s support for Elon Musk in an article in the New York Times. Walter Manzke, who owns R\u00e9publique with his wife, Margarita Manzke, was quoted in the article about the Tesla caf\u00e9 that Musk plans to open on Santa Monica Boulevard saying the idea for a restaurant that offers a diner, Tesla charging stations and a movie theater \u201csounds exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also noted his wife is a fan of Musk. \u201cShe told me the other day that she wants to buy a Tesla, so I can tell you what side she\u2019s on,\u201d Manzke said. The comments in the article, which published Friday, polarized R\u00e9publique patrons who have strong opinions about Musk, the world\u2019s richest man, who leads President Trump\u2019s advisory team that he calls the Department of Government Efficiency.<\/p>\n
The day the article came out, the restaurant posted on Instagram denying the statement implied political support for Musk. \u201cAt R\u00e9publique, we believe in focusing on what we do best\u2014creating exceptional food and a welcoming experience for all our guests,\u201d they wrote. \u201cIn response to a recent New York Times article, we want to clarify that the quote about possibly buying a Tesla was simply about exploring electric vehicle options, not a political statement. We value innovation and sustainability, and we respect all viewpoints. R\u00e9publique does not take political stances; we are here to create a space for everyone, no matter their background or beliefs.\u201d The post was taken down shortly after.<\/p>\n
R\u00e9publique is a mainstay of the Los Angeles dining scene, a French bistro routinely topping \u201cbest of\u201d lists. The restaurant has routinely ranked in the top 10 in the Los Angeles Times\u2019 \u201c101 Best Restaurants\u201d list since it opened in Hancock Park in 2014. Walter Manzke did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Margarita Manzke declined to comment when reached by The Times.<\/p>\n
Musk began planning the Tesla caf\u00e9 in 2022, when his company first submitted documents to the city of Los Angeles for a diner that would operate 24 hours a day in Hollywood.<\/p>\n
The incident highlights the challenges businesses face in navigating political sensitivities and the importance of clarifying statements to avoid misinterpretation. R\u00e9publique’s attempt to distance itself from political affiliations underscores the delicate balance between personal opinions and professional neutrality in the public eye.<\/p>\n
A: The backlash was sparked by comments made by Walter Manzke, one of the owners, in support of Elon Musk and his Tesla caf\u00e9 idea in a New York Times article.<\/p>\n
A: No, R\u00e9publique clarified through an Instagram post that the comments were not meant as a political endorsement but rather a discussion about exploring electric vehicle options.<\/p>\n
A: The project was first proposed in 2022 with plans for a 24-hour diner in Hollywood, but the current status of the project is not specified in the available information.<\/p>\n
A: R\u00e9publique is highly regarded, frequently ranking in the top 10 of the Los Angeles Times\u2019 \u201c101 Best Restaurants\u201d list since its opening in 2014.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Owner of Famed L.A. Restaurant Faces Backlash Introduction to the Controversy A premier Los Angeles restaurant is facing intense online backlash after one of its owners appeared to voice his and his wife\u2019s support for Elon Musk in an article in the New York Times. Walter Manzke, who owns R\u00e9publique with his wife, Margarita Manzke, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-education"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/2ecce96\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3604x1892+0+548\/resize\/1200x630!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff6%2F15%2F1281cb684a49afce9f497d58e45e%2Fla-photos-1staff-465436-fo-0913-republique-brunch-mrt-015a.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10888"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10888"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10890,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10888\/revisions\/10890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}