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Cache Chef Payne Harding Apologizes After Protestors Hit With Water

2 min read

Payne Harding, the executive chef and co-owner of Cache Restaurant in Little Rock, issued an apology on Wednesday after he reportedly dumped water on protestors outside the eatery Tuesday evening.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a GOP presidential candidate making a swing through Arkansas this week, was dining at the River Market District restaurant last night when a small group of protestors formed near Cache’s entrance.

The Arkansas Times said the group included Robert Nunn, Jennifer Pierce and James Ryan Bozeman.

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, a group of its reporters were also at the restaurant, and one of them said she saw Harding throw water on the protestors from the balcony above.

On Wednesday, Harding issued this statement to multiple media outlets, including Arkansas Business: 

On behalf of myself, Cache Restaurant and my family I would like to issue my sincerest of apologies to James Ryan Bozeman along with every individual affected by the events that took place last evening. This was a heat of the moment action driven by frustration; these actions were in no way shape or form politically motivated. Customers were having difficulty entering and exiting the restaurant and I thought it was causing a problem for my business. I did not know who the protesters were or what they were protesting. It was as simple as a poor decision that, given the opportunity to make again, I would obviously think about the consequences before I acted. Cache is, and will always be, an establishment that welcomes everyone. There is no excuse for my actions, and I sincerely apologize. 

On Wednesday, people left comments criticizing the restaurant on Cache’s Facebook, Yelp and Zomato pages. Photos of protestors could be seen on Twitter:


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