MS restaurant owner defends anti-LGBTQ video offering free food after deleting apology

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• A Mississippi restaurant, Darwell’s Happiness Cafe, is facing backlash after the owners posted a video offering a free meal deal exclusively to heterosexual couples.
• The owners have responded erratically, initially defending the decision, then issuing an apology, and later reiterating their stance while claiming it was a typical promotion.
• The LGBTQIA+ community and allies are boycotting the restaurant, urging support for inclusive businesses, aligning with a national trend of economic protests against companies rolling back DEI initiatives.
• The restaurant owners have since restricted their social media presence, limiting public engagement and controlling the narrative surrounding the controversy.

A Mississippi Gulf Coast restaurant came under fire after posting a video offering a free food deal to straight people only. The LGBTQIA+ community is boycotting the business, and the owners’ stances on the matter have been erratic, swinging from backing the decision to apologizing before once again justifying their actions.

Now, they’re defending the move.

On Tuesday, March 25, Darwell Yeager III and Nettie Mechelle Yeager shared a free food deal at Darwell’s Happiness Cafe in Long Beach. Both spelled out that trans, lesbian and gay couples could not get the deal. Only heterosexual couples, regardless of how long they’d been together.

Community backlash was swift, with people sharing the video and calling for people to stop eating there.

In the following days, the owners have invoked President Donald Trump’s goal to “end to all this wokeness” and briefly shared a MAGA discount before deleting it.

They then shared a vague apology for jokes that were possibly misunderstood.

Late in the week, they had removed the public Facebook page for the cafe. Darwell Yeager is now posting to a public Facebook group that was created for the eatery in 2009 and has recently been updated.

Now, they’re saying it was a normal meal deal.

Here’s what we know about what happened so far, how the community has reacted to the news.

How have the business owners responded since posting the video?

On Tuesday afternoon, Darwell Yeager said if money comes from a source he doesn’t want to mingle with, he’d rather not do business with that person. “I’m not a prostitute to my industry.” Before sharing the now-viral video, he reposted an earlier statement that he makes sure personally that his business has no “woke” employees.

Nettie Yeager compared the promotion to letting kids eat free. She called on lesbians to remember what the Bible says about same-sex relationships in a post that’s no longer visible to the public. And she later posted a photo of her derriere in boyshorts while wearing a shirt that reads “f*** off” with the caption “Kiss My Straight Married 50yr. Old A**…”

“I’m NOT Ashamed of my beliefs I was raised with morals and values. Married to the same woman for thirty years. Before you cast judgment, watch the video. We did not tell people not to come here. We made a special for couples (male+female heterosexual couples) which is rarely done. For 1 hour at our closing which we have the right to do so…… People will try to crucify you over the smallest things realize that,” her husband shared on Facebook in a post that is no longer available.

Darwell Yeager also posted around 12:45 a.m. Thursday, March 27, that customers wearing any Trump-related gear or clothing with the American flag would get a 10% discount through Sunday, March 30. That offer was no longer visible hours later.

Early Thursday, the couple repeatedly shared a statement, written by Nettie Yeager, to their personal and business Facebook pages.

“I would like to apologize to all my friends. If I wrote or said something that offended you… I’m not perfect… I say things people don’t understand, misread , misunderstood, jokes maybe I shouldn’t say, get upset and say something I should have thought twice before saying.. I’m not perfect and I get my feelings hurt too. Not always right. But I’m human too.. I’m truly Sorry if you got offended or misunderstood something not meant to hurt anyone…..” she posted.

By Friday, March 28, the apology along with most of the pair’s most recent Facebook content had been deleted or removed from public access. The business’ Facebook page was gone.

The only recent post left on Nettie Yeager’s page Friday morning was a reminder of the right to refuse service.

Saturday night, Darwell Yeager said everyone is welcome at the restaurant but backed the decision to offer free food only to straight people.

“I made a special for a certain group of people for a certain time like specials are meant to be. Nothing more Nothing less. All are welcome at Darwells and always have been as long as you respect everyone while you are here. We have been open 20 years this year and hold a reputation with serving people Nothing has changed. Thank you for eating with us! Chef Darwell Yeager III” he posted late Saturday night.

• He’s moved social media posting for the cafe to a group he’s the administrator of. Questions required to join include:
• “why are you joining our group?”
• “what is Chef Darwells signature dish?”
• “have you eaten here before?”

The group rules require courtesy and kindness and ban hate speech and bullying.

LBGTQ community boycotts cafe, following a national pro-DEI economic protest trend

“When a business chooses bigotry over belonging, it’s up to all of us to show that hate has no home here. Let’s stand together and support LGBTQ+ owned and allied businesses that celebrate diversity. Let’s use our voices, our presence, and yes — our dollars — to send a clear message: the LGBTQ+ community matters!” reads a statement from the Board of Gulf Coast Equality. The nonprofit encouraged people to support other restaurants.

Nationally, groups are leading boycotts of major retail chains and companies that have rolled back DEI initiatives. Following a nationwide 24-hour economic blackout of major corporations, advocacy groups are encouraging more and more people to take a stand with their spending.

Darwell Yeager previously boasted his business has no “woke” employees.

When President Donald Trump took office in January, he immediately started rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion at the federal level while encouraging a larger culture shift. Multiple companies, like Walmart, Lowe’s and Meta have dropped their DEI programs.

A weeklong boycott of Nestlé products recently ended, and a 40-day spending freeze at Target that follows Lent is ongoing until Easter across the U.S. Protest organizers are mostly targeting major brands that have stopped DEI work, hoping to show them that shoppers want to support brands that help women, minorities, the disabled and veterans.

The tool has been used across the political spectrum to make a point. For example, in 2023 But Light sales dropped. Conservatives and anti-LGBTQIA+ activists called for a boycott after the brand partnered with Dylan Mulvaney, who is transgender, for a promotion.

More economic protests are planned nationally through this spring and summer, including a second one-day blackout.

Haven’t seen it? Read what Darwell’s Cafe owners said in anti-LGBTQ video

This story was sourced from the original video before it was removed from Darwell Yeager’s Facebook page. Several social media users also have posted edited and unedited copies online.

Nettie Yeager, wearing short-shorts and oversized sunglasses, shimmies and sways next to her husband, who called her “Nettie Monroe” for the short video.

Darwell Yeager says they’ll offer a “celebration of couples day.” He sings “couples’ day at Darwells” a few times as the pair dance together.

“If you come in and you’re a couple, no matter how long you’ve been together – dating, married. If you’re a couple – husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, guy and girl couple, the real kind of couple -” Darwell Yeager said, making air quotes around the last phrase.

“Cause we don’t do the trans or the lesbians or gays. I’m sorry, but that’s down the street,” Nettie Yeager said.

“OK. Couple. When you come in for the next hour and half and you are a couple. Can produce a child couple, we’ll give you something free. How do you like that, folks?” Darwell Yeager posted.

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at [email protected].