‘Top Chef’ Alum Leaves Viral Immigration Message on His Restaurant’s Receipts

Breakfast in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/JHEtfJhqPO

— Mary Emily O’Hara (@MaryEmilyOHara) February 5, 2017

The above tweet showcasing a restaurant’s powerful message on immigrants has gone completely viral.

NBC News contributer Mary Emily O’Hara posted about a Brooklyn restaurant that left a message about immigrants in America on their receipts, and their simple message that “Immigrants Make America Great” has been retweeted nearly 100,000 times since its original posting.

It turns out that the Brooklyn restaurant in question, Kiwianis, is owned by Top Chef alum Mark Simmons.

In an interview with PIX11, Chef Simmons called the message he’s leaving on the receipts a form of “silent protest” and that while he doesn’t usually get political, he felt the need to respond to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that barred entry of refugees and travelers from seven different countries.

“I think about the families being torn apart. Put yourself in their position, it would break me up.”

The actual restaurant employs staff from multiple countries, including Russia, China, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, and one of them told PIX11 that the entire restaurant staff may be from different countries, but they’re all part of one family that works together to keep the restaurant running.

Chef Simmons plans to have the messages on the receipts for “as long as it takes”. What that actually means is yet to be seen, but it’s clear how he feels about President Trump’s executive order.

In the meantime, we’ll be inspired by Mark Simmons, the team at Kiwianis, and their efforts to let the world know that it takes a unique effort from people from all different backgrounds to make something amazing happen.