Restaurant Owner in Onalaska Launches His Own Protest Across the Street After Backlash Over Female Server Remarks

A restaurant owner facing backlash over comments about female servers has taken the unusual step of staging his own counter protest directly across from the demonstration against him.

Tony Angelini, owner of Angelini's Ristorante in Onalaska, Wisconsin, drew national attention after a video from his restaurant's podcast sparked outrage, with critics accusing him of making sexist remarks about women in the workplace.

Instead of staying silent as protesters gathered outside his business, Angelini responded by organising his own public display across the street, creating a dramatic face off that quickly spread online.

The Video Causing Restaurant Backlash

The controversy began after Angelini posted a video on his restaurant's YouTube channel discussing his hiring preferences. In the video, titled 'At Angelini's they prefer male server', the restaurant owner said he preferred hiring male servers and criticised female employees using offensive language.

'I prefer hiring male over female all f***ing day,' Angelini said in the video.

He went on to make further comments about female workers, claiming they complained more and discussing women in a way that critics described as disrespectful.

The video gained thousands of views and sparked a wave of reactions after it was shared in local food groups and spread across social media. Many viewers argued that the comments reflected outdated attitudes towards women working in restaurants.

Others debated whether the situation was being judged fairly, with some saying business owners should be able to discuss their hiring preferences while others argued that public comments like these can affect workplace culture.

Protesters Gather Outside Angelini's Restaurant

Following the online backlash, a protest was organised outside Angelini's Ristorante. Organisers said they wanted to challenge what they viewed as harmful comments about women and raise concerns about possible workplace discrimination.

Jennifer Shoults, one of the organisers, said the issue was bigger than one restaurant and argued that allowing such comments to go unchallenged could normalise disrespectful behaviour.

'This is not normal behavior. This is not how men talk about women,' Shoults said.

The protest also highlighted concerns around employment practices, with critics pointing to federal workplace protections that prohibit discrimination based on sex.

The controversy also led some local businesses to publicly support women workers, with several restaurants sharing messages praising their female staff and highlighting the contributions of women in the industry.

Tony Angelini Responds With Counter Protest

Rather than avoiding the attention, Angelini responded by creating his own demonstration across the street from the protesters. The move became one of the most talked about parts of the dispute, with many online users saying the counter protest only brought more attention to the original controversy.

Some critics described the decision as a move that amplified the backlash instead of reducing it.

The situation created a viral debate over whether Angelini's response was a defence of his position or whether it simply extended the controversy surrounding his original comments.

Supporters of the restaurant owner argued that he had the right to respond publicly and defend himself, while critics said the protest highlighted the seriousness of the original remarks.

Online Debate Over The Restaurant Owner

The story has divided social media users, with reactions ranging from support for Angelini to strong criticism of his comments.

Some people argued that the discussion had become bigger than the original video, focusing on freedom of speech and whether public backlash had gone too far.

Others said the issue was not just about one person's words but about how employers speak about potential staff members and how those attitudes can affect workers.

The unusual scene of a restaurant owner protesting his own critics has become the latest chapter in a controversy that began with a short online video but grew into a wider conversation about workplace respect, gender and accountability.