‘Woke’ cafe drawing angry criticism from locals, upset owner says they have it all wrong

Carmen Quiroga decided to open a breakfast cafe in Connecticut that sells hearty breakfasts composed of crepes, eggs, and bacon, but made the unfortunate mistake of naming it “Woke,” which many local residents took offense to because of its political undertones.

The owner fears that the misinterpretation of the name could hurt her business. So far, the cafe has been very busy. Despite the media making a big deal over the name, many conservatives, if they are offended at all, would just simply not eat there.

Some residents of Coventry assumed that the name came from the political term “woke” which is used to describe elitists who take leftism to extremes. But Quiroga claims that it simply came from the meaning of waking up in the morning.

The cafe owner has reportedly gotten some nasty Facebook commentary over the cafe’s name. The remarks apparently appeared on a private Facebook page for the small town. Quiroga was in tears when she read the comments. The page is now threatening to delete any more abusive posts on the subject.

(Video Credit: Daily Mail)

“Just a word of warning, any more ridiculous comments about the name of the new breakfast place in town will be deleted,” the page admin warned.

“If you are that close-minded that you can’t grasp that the name is referring to the fact that it is a breakfast establishment and nothing more, then just keep that to yourself and move on,” she added. “It’s disgusting to read that residents are going to refuse to support a business that is trying to grow in our awesome little town because you don’t like what they’ve named it, without even knowing anything about how they chose that name. Just stop.”

“They don’t give me the opportunity to try my food and my work,” Quiroga told WTNH in an interview.

The owner claimed she has no idea what the political meaning of “woke” is.

“I’m a Mexican,” Quiroga told CT Insider. “I don’t know anything about what ‘woke’ means to some people.”

Following the Facebook attack, a number of people spoke up in support of the fledgling business, according to the Daily Mail.

“I saw your story on the news in Boston and I’m so sorry people brought negativity to a simple and fun name,” one individual stated. “If we ever come to Connecticut we will be eating breakfast at Woke!”

“That looks absolutely delicious,” one person proclaimed under photos of the cafe’s pancakes. “Wish I lived closer. Congrats on the new business and glad to see  people are giving you the support you deserve.”

Quiroga’s cafe was given a number of encouraging reviews after people ate at her restaurant. Others said they are excited about visiting the business and ordering the food there.

“Very, very busy all day,” she said. “The tables are full, so I’m so happy.”

She made a point of saying that the unpleasant comments on Facebook do not represent the town. Most locals seemed unbothered by the name of the establishment.

“To me, when I hear ‘Woke’ as a breakfast restaurant, it just means waking up, so I’m not personally offended by it,” Benjamin Kieso told WTNH when asked about the name.

“It’s a catchy name,” another resident named Brian Pope added.

“It’s a very purple town,” Republican town council member John French noted concerning the political makeup of Coventry.

“I am not a big fan of ‘woke’ whatsoever,” he told CT Insider.

French says he would patronize the restaurant since the owner said she did not know the alternate meaning of the word, but the name will put off people with more center and center-right views who don’t know the backstory.

“It’s a shame,” he commented, “but one of the things you learn not to do in business is cause controversy. In this case, ‘woke,’ I believe, will hurt them.”

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