Since the presidential debate on Sept. 10, Springfield, Ohio’s Rose Goute Creole Restaurant has seen a surge in business attributed to former President Donald Trump’s controversial statements.
With over 67 million people watching, Trump made dangerous and baseless claims that Haitian immigrants were eating pets in the small Ohio city.
“In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating — they are eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, had shared a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, mentioning, “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.” City officials from Springfield verified with multiple outlets that the statement was untrue. In reaction to the unfounded claims, the city’s residents have patronized the restaurant as a show of support and solidarity for the Haitian community.
According to The New Republic, photos circulated on social media showing the restaurant at capacity with long lines of people waiting to get in and try its cuisine.
The outlet talked with Romane Pierre, the manager of Rose Goute Creole Restaurant, on what was supposed to be his day off pilling rice and beans with goat. Due to the increased business, Pierre was front and center serving at the Haitian eatery.
“Haitians like goat. That’s the meat for Haitians,” he said.
Rose Goute Creole Restaurant opened in the summer of 2023 in a small strip mall in Springfield. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves many dishes featuring chicken, fish, goat and pork, along with its top-selling beans, rice and plantains. With the influx of Haitian immigrants who moved into the area, the restaurant gained popularity and earned top reviews among the city’s “Best Caribbean food,” per The New Republic.
The Springfield News-Sun also spoke with Pierre, who said Vance and Trump’s outlandish claims have had some negative repercussions.
“Yesterday some people call, I think they make some joke, ask if we have cat, dog. I say, ‘We don’t sell that. We sell chicken fish, goat pork, rice, beans,” later adding, “I know my people — dogs, cats — we don’t do that in Haiti.”
However, he is focusing on the positive and the packed seats.
Pierre said, “A lot of American people come here to try the food. They say ‘Don’t worry, we are with you.'”
