FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – False claims and fear for personal safety have resulted in a Fresno restaurant closing its doors for good.
The Tasty Thai Restaurant, which was located on Belmont and First, first started dealing with issues two weeks ago after someone posted a video about a dog being tied up without water nearby and alleging the restaurant was putting that dog and others on its menu.
David Rasavong, the owner of Tasty Thai, says they received backlash on their social media pages – and dozens of negative reviews, racist threats, and hate over the phone. Rasavong decided to close the restaurant temporarily due to safety concerns.
Following the closure, a leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization condemned the hate targeted at Tasty Thai, saying they stand in solidarity with the Asian-American community against growing hatred and bigotry.
Rasavong reported the threats to the Fresno Police and says they are investigating it as a hate crime as the threats were racially motivated and based on stereotypes. Rasavong says, following all the threats, they felt it was too unsafe to open their doors back up – at least not where they are now.
As of Tuesday, the restaurant has shut its doors permanently at Belmont and First in Fresno.
Rasavong says that he is hoping to open again in a new location and working on a couple of options and looking forward to a fresh start.
The person behind the video has since apologized and asked those commenting to stop sending threats saying she was just concerned about the dog.