Tokyo Chick, the Asian fusion restaurant on East Colorado Boulevard in Old Pasadena, is now facing a storm of backlash after displaying a Trump flag on Election Day. The flag was quickly removed by the owner, Dylan Yang, the day after the election, but the controversy continues online, with Yelp monitoring the Tokyo Chick reviews page and a post from local activist Skylar Summers.
The restaurant, known for its Japanese-style fried chicken and open-kitchen concept, opened in March 2023 with the hope of blending bold flavors with an inviting ambiance. Since raising the MAGA flag on election day, it has become a catalyst for debates with calls for boycotting the business.
The display of the Trump flag — a bold and polarizing political statement — did not sit well with the predominantly progressive Pasadena community. Almost immediately, social media and review platforms lit up with criticism.
On November 7, Summers, a progressive Los Angeles activist, posted a recent interview with Tokyo Chick’s famous chicken mascot, featuring her own narration calling for the avoidance of the restaurant. In the caption, she wrote, “DO NOT EAT @tokyochick. THEY ARE TRUMP SUPPORTERS,” hoping to steer would-be customers from the establishment.
In response to mounting attention, Yelp disabled reviews for the restaurant, citing the need to prevent its platform from becoming a battleground for political discourse. This intervention, meant to keep the focus on food and service, did little to temper the growing outrage.
Disgruntled customers expressed their anger, both online and in person. Negative reviews flooded in, with one diner calling the move “obscene and disrespectful to the community” and using racist tropes to describe the owner.
Dylan Yang, the restaurant’s owner, tried to stem the tide of criticism with an apology posted as a comment to a negative Yelp review, writing, “The flag has been taken [down]! We are sorry to have had a bad impact on you! We just want to express our honor to live in this great country! USA,” he wrote.
LNP reached out to Yang for a comment. No response was received.
Customers questioned why such a politically charged symbol was displayed in the first place, particularly in a community known for its diversity and progressive values. Yang’s reply seems to indicate they did not expect this response to the Trump flag and were simply trying to embrace United States nationalism by showing support for the president-elect.
For a small business like Tokyo Chick, the stakes are high. Negative press and alienated customers are a lethal combination in the competitive dining scene of Old Pasadena. Restaurants thrive not just on good food but also on a strong connection with their communities. By intertwining politics with the dining experience, Tokyo Chick appears to have misjudged the cultural pulse of its patrons.
The controversy surrounding Tokyo Chick is a stark reminder that actions — whether intentional or misguided — carry consequences.
