The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

Get my Daily BS twice-a-day news stack directly to your email.


‘I’d do it again’: Memphis pizza shop refuses service to National Guard troops, sparks boycott calls

by

BS BRIEF:

  • A Memphis restaurant is facing growing backlash after owner Miles Tamboli admitted he refused service to four Tennessee National Guard members and said he would “make the same decision tomorrow.”
  • Rep. Tim Burchett and numerous Tennessee residents have publicly condemned the decision, while calls for a boycott of the restaurant have spread across social media.
  • The controversy comes amid continuing debate over President Trump’s Memphis Safe Task Force, a federal anti-crime initiative that includes National Guard personnel assisting local and federal law enforcement operations.

 

A Memphis restaurant owner has found himself at the center of a growing national controversy after refusing service to four members of the Tennessee National Guard and then publicly defending the decision.

Miles Tamboli, owner of Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza, confirmed that he denied service to the Guardsmen because of his opposition to the Memphis Safe Task Force, a Trump-backed anti-crime initiative launched in 2025 to address violent crime in one of America’s most troubled urban areas.

Rather than apologizing after news of the incident spread, Tamboli doubled down.

“I love this country and I love this city, and that is exactly why I made this call,” Tamboli told Fox News Digital. He argued that crime was already declining before the federal initiative arrived and claimed the presence of National Guard personnel has made Memphis “harder to live in.”

The owner further stated, “Months ago I joined dozens of other local businesses in a public commitment to stand against the military policing our streets, an act of patriotism and conscience both, and I would make the same decision tomorrow.”

The Memphis Safe Task Force was established by President Trump in September 2025 and combines local law enforcement, federal agencies, Tennessee state authorities, and National Guard personnel in an effort to combat violent crime, gang activity, drug trafficking, and repeat offenders in the city.

Supporters of the program point to Memphis’ long struggle with violent crime and argue that additional resources have helped stabilize neighborhoods plagued by years of lawlessness. Critics, including Tamboli, contend the involvement of National Guard personnel blurs the line between military and civilian law enforcement.

The Guardsmen involved reportedly entered the restaurant simply looking for a meal. There is no indication they were engaged in enforcement activity at the time.

That fact appears to be driving much of the public backlash.

Across social media, Tennessee residents expressed outrage that service members wearing the uniform of their state were denied service because of a political disagreement with government policy.

One Memphis resident posted, “Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza refused to serve Tennessee National Guard members who were just trying to eat. Their owner turned them away. That’s unacceptable. I stand with the National Guard.”

Another commenter wrote that businesses showing disrespect toward service members should not expect public support in return. Perhaps the most prominent response came from Rep. Tim Burchett, who weighed in directly on social media. “When I get home I’m driving to Memphis and not eating there,” the Tennessee Republican posted.

For years, progressive activists defended restaurants, bakeries, and other businesses that denied services to individuals whose beliefs they opposed. Now, critics argue that principle is being applied selectively depending on who is being excluded.

Meanwhile, Tamboli acknowledged that the backlash has already hurt business but said it has not changed his position. “None of it changes my position,” he told local media. “If anything, it confirms why this matters.”

My take…

It’s amazing how often the people who lecture America about tolerance turn out to be remarkably intolerant.

Let’s review what happened here.

Four National Guard members walk into a pizza restaurant.

No, this isn’t the setup for a joke.

They weren’t raiding the place. They weren’t conducting an operation. They weren’t arresting anyone. They were looking for dinner.

The owner’s response? Sorry, we don’t serve your kind here.

Now imagine the media reaction if a business owner had refused service to a group of teachers, climate activists, journalists, or university professors because he disagreed with their profession or politics. CNN would have a week-long special report complete with dramatic music and a panel of experts discussing “the threat to democracy.”

But because the people being turned away were National Guard troops, some folks are suddenly discovering all sorts of constitutional theories and historical arguments they never seemed interested in before.

Here’s the reality: You can oppose a government policy without treating the men and women carrying out lawful orders like pariahs.

The Guardsmen didn’t create the task force. They didn’t write the policy.

They just wanted pizza.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

today’s hot news