A coffee shop owner in Idaho is drawing attention online after he was recorded refusing to let a group of pro-life customers hold a meeting inside his business. The owner said he was comfortable serving them as customers but did not want his shop used for a meeting about an issue he opposed. The incident has since sparked a debate over business rights and political beliefs.
The incident was covered on TikTok by Andra, who uses the username HopeYouFindYourDad. Her video explaining the situation received more than 100,000 views within twelve hours, with many viewers supporting the owner’s decision.
The video shows the Idaho coffee shop owner explaining why he asked the group to leave. He said he had no problem with them buying drinks at his shop, but he did not want them using the business as a meeting place to discuss the issue.
The owner said he disagreed with the group’s position and did not want the topic being discussed inside his business. He ultimately told them to take their meeting somewhere else, suggesting the library instead.
According to Andra’s explanation, the group later complained about being removed from the coffee shop and attempted to criticize the owner online. Andra said she believed small business owners should generally have the ability to set reasonable boundaries for how their businesses are used.
She also suggested the group may have intentionally chosen the Idaho coffee shop for their meeting because of the owner’s views. The situation reportedly took place in a small, rural Idaho community, adding to the debate over the owner publicly opposing a position that some commenters said was common in the area.
Idaho Coffee Shop Draws Mixed Reactions
Many viewers applauded the owner for standing by his beliefs and refusing to let the group hold its meeting inside his business. Several argued that private businesses should be able to refuse service or set boundaries around how their spaces are used. “Good on him for standing up for women’s rights. He has the right to refuse service, and they should accept that,” one user wrote.
Other viewers pointed to what they saw as hypocrisy, arguing that some conservatives have previously supported businesses refusing services that conflict with their beliefs. They said the same principle should apply when the situation is reversed.
Some commenters praised the owner for taking his position in rural Idaho, while others accused the group of intentionally targeting the Idaho coffee shop. A few viewers suggested the group may have been trying to create controversy by recording the interaction.
Not everyone supported the decision. Some viewers criticized refusing customers based on political beliefs, although they acknowledged that the owner could set his own rules for the business. “Say bye bye to his business,” one user wrote. Others predicted the shop could face backlash, while several commenters said they planned to support it instead.
In the end, the group wanted a meeting spot. The Idaho coffee shop owner had a different idea: the library.
