A Brooklyn coffee shop blasted Rep. Dan Goldman after the New York Democrat stopped in for a cup of coffee, publicly refunding his purchase and declaring it doesn’t serve “genocide enablers.”
Poetica Coffee revealed the unsolicited $9.82 refund in a fiery Facebook post Sunday, sharing a photo of Goldman inside its Park Slope location. The congressman is facing a competitive Democratic primary challenge from former city Comptroller Brad Lander.
“Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?” the post stated, apparently referencing Goldman’s support for Israel and accusations leveled against the Jewish state over the war in Gaza.
“See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.”
Mark Goldfeder, director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, argued the reference to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee exposed the message’s broader implications.
“They put a huge amount of Jewish people on notice that they are not welcome,” Goldfeder said.
“It’s not just about Dan Goldman. It puts a lot of Jews on edge.”
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, contended the coffee shop’s effective ban on Goldman could run afoul of state anti-discrimination laws.
“Assigning collective blame to Jews or perceived supporters of Israel over disagreements with Middle East policies is the very definition of antisemitism,” Treyger said.
“The nature of the social media post leaves serious questions about the business’s practices that warrant a thorough review under City and State human rights law. Turning a cup of coffee into a Jewish identity litmus test is an affront to the law, our values, and every New Yorker who rejects discrimination.”
Offices belonging to state Attorney General Letitia James, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding possible violations of New York human rights laws.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Monday that it had opened an investigation into Poetica and would pursue enforcement action if necessary.
Critics also pointed to the company’s own mission statement, posted on its website under the name of owner Parviz Mukhamadkulov, which emphasizes welcoming all visitors with “unconditional dignity.”
“The guest is sacred because the act of welcoming is how a community keeps itself intact,” the statement reads.
The shop also says on its website that “whoever walks through the door is treated with unconditional dignity.”
“Not as a customer. Not as a transaction. As someone who arrived and deserves to be welcomed,” the site claims.
Rory Lancman, a Jewish civil rights attorney and former Queens councilman, said Poetica’s jab about AIPAC amounted to a coded attack.
“There’s nothing poetic in Poetica’s flippant use of ‘AIPAC’ as a slur against a Jewish public official, which like ‘Zionist’ or its more noxious shorthand, ‘Zio,’ is nothing more than a coded dog-whistle for ‘Jew,’” he said.
“Poetica may claim to be a place ‘where the guest is sacred, the books are unbanned, and the door is open to everyone,’ but clearly its guests are merely prey for public abuse, its thirst for banning those with opposing opinions is unslakable, and its doors are closed to Jews who think that the Jewish state shouldn’t just lay down and die.”
Not everyone was focused on the politics.
Spencer W., 25, who frequents Poetica’s Williamsburg location, said he disliked the idea of businesses targeting patrons online.
“I don’t love the idea of attacking your customers on social media,” the customer said.
Ben Samson, a Jewish customer at the same location, said the controversy would not stop him from returning.
“If someone gave me a problem, I would ask what their f–king deal is,” he said. “I think people are living on their f–king phones.”
“I don’t like when people pose their view on how to treat people onto me. I hope they can give me the same grace, and if they can’t, then that’s their problem.”
Goldman brushed off the slight, noting that he only bought the coffee to thank staff for letting his young daughter use the restroom.
“I am sorry to see this post,” he said in a statement. “The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me — allowing her to use the bathroom even though we had not purchased anything.
“I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved.”
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