Druff's adds new signage to clarify position on police

New signage has been installed at downtown restaurant Druff's after initial messaging drew the ire of a local police officer association earlier this week.

Signage at the diner, 331 Park Central East, now reads that "everyone is welcome to eat here." It clarifies that "if you're here to conduct a search or seizure, come back with a lawful judicial warrant."

The initial signage asked all law enforcement officials to not enter without a lawful judicial search warrant. Previously posted near the door, the sign remained this morning on the window.

"Just wanted to let you know that you are allowed to eat at Druff’s," the company posted on Facebook yesterday. "We don’t care about where you’re from, or what you do for work."

The post adds, "I know the sign in the window made a lot of folks upset, that was never my intention. My goal was and always will be to provide a safe place to serve great food with a smile on my face."

Druff’s owner Kenny McMahon said in an interview that the original signage had been up for six or seven months. He said he put the sign up during a swath of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, and it was not his intention to single out local folks.

"I never refuse service to anyone, unless they come in here and they’ve been overserved alcohol and they harass my staff,’ he said.

The Springfield Police Officers Association criticized the signage in a July 22 Facebook post.

"Instead of overreacting, we’ll go ahead and give you the chance to publicly explain whether this was a rogue employee, or a poorly communicated new policy of yours that doesn’t actually mean what it appears on its face to mean," the post reads. "Or, if your potential customers should be concerned that the ones they trust to protect downtown aren’t welcome in your establishment to keep them safe while they are dining. If so, we’ll be happy to help you spread the word."

SPOA President Justin Hollingsworth said the organization's Facebook post was meant as a call for clarification. He said the post specifically did not call on a boycott of Druff’s.

"I don’t want Druff’s canceled. I don’t want them to close. I don’t want them to lose business,” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth said local law enforcement should not be judged based on what’s going on in other parts of the country.

"We want them to know that they don’t have to be afraid of us,” he said of local businesses.