What started as a simple visit to a beloved San Francisco oyster bar has turned into a social media storm—one that’s now pitting a popular food influencer against a century-old seafood institution. All because of a hat.
Influencer Spots Pro-Trump Hat, Calls It Out Online
California-based food influencer Kat Ensign, known on Instagram as @katfoodsf, was waiting in line at the iconic Swan Oyster Depot when something on the wall caught her eye—a baseball cap in American flag colors with the numbers “45 47” stitched on the front.
For those not in the know, those numbers are often used by Donald Trump supporters to represent his first (45th) and possible second (47th) presidential terms.
Ensign was not impressed.
She snapped a photo and shared it to her Instagram Stories, overlaying it with audio of someone saying “Absolutely not, absolutely not, absolutely not – turn around, full U-turn.”
She doubled down in the caption, writing, “swan oyster depot -> absolutely not.”
TikTok Echoes the Message—and Backlash Begins
Ensign didn’t stop there. She brought the same image to TikTok and asked her 16,000+ followers, “Am I late to the game or did everyone know this?”
But instead of rallying support, many social media users turned on her.
Rather than condemning the restaurant, some followers defended it and criticized Ensign for using her platform to “shame” a small business over its décor.
Swan Oyster Depot Responds: It’s Just Another Wall Item
Kevin Sancimino, who co-owns Swan Oyster Depot with his brother Tom, addressed the controversy head-on in an interview with SFGate.
According to him, the cap wasn’t a political statement—it was just another random item among many others the family-owned eatery has received over the years.
“It was a gift from a customer, much like the rubber duckies or foreign dollar bills we have on the wall,” he explained.
“We even have a letter from Margaret Thatcher and pictures of Ronald Reagan. We collect things, that’s all.”
Online Reviews Turn Toxic
Despite the restaurant’s explanation, the online backlash didn’t let up.
Swan Oyster Depot’s Yelp page was quickly flooded with negative reviews, not about the food but about the political implication of the cap.
Comments ranged from “The MAGA vibes are gettin’ creepy” to “Why support a place that stands for the opposite of what this city believes in?”
As a result, Yelp stepped in and temporarily disabled reviews on the business’s page, noting the sudden “public attention” that was leading to posts not based on actual dining experiences.
Supporters Speak Out Against ‘Cancel Culture’
At the same time, many others rushed to the restaurant’s defense.
Some slammed what they saw as a politically driven attack on a small business.
“At what point did we decide it’s okay to attack people over political views?” one user asked on Ensign’s post.
Others praised the restaurant for “supporting what makes America great,” while some dismissed the criticism as “liberals being upset with nothing better to do.”
Closure and Timing Raise More Questions
Interestingly, the backlash picked up steam while Swan Oyster Depot wasn’t even open.
The restaurant had been closed since July 2 for the Independence Day holiday and wasn’t scheduled to reopen until July 14.
Sancimino pointed out that the infamous cap hadn’t even been displayed for two weeks before they closed—raising questions about why the issue was being brought up now.
A Call for Coexistence
In the end, Sancimino offered a more reflective take on the whole affair.
“People can have different political views and still exist in the same space,” he said.
“It’s sad that someone would try to make a pariah out of someone or their business for having an alternative political view.”
He added, “Why does political belief not fall under the realm of inclusivity? It seems myopic.”
Final Thoughts
The Daily Mail reached out to both Ensign and Swan Oyster Depot for further comment.
For now, the cap has sparked more than just online chatter—it’s opened up a broader debate about politics, freedom of expression, and how much room there is for differing views in public spaces, even on the wall of a seafood shop.