A Phoenix torta restaurant has become a cautionary tale for all Hispanic-owned businesses. If your politics offend customers – many who are fearing deportation under Trump – you will get burned.
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- A Phoenix-area torta shop, Tortas Manantial, faces backlash after the owner’s daughter posted a photo of herself wearing a MAGA hat.
- The restaurant’s primarily Hispanic customer base reacted negatively, leading to boycotts and negative reviews.
- The owner issued a statement but did not directly address the daughter’s post or apologize, further fueling the controversy.
- The incident highlights the challenges businesses face navigating political polarization, particularly those serving diverse communities.
What happens when a torta shop becomes ground zero for a political explosion? It costs them business.
In a deeply divided America, where a post can trigger a boycott and a hat can start a firestorm, Tortas Manantial – a restaurant with multiple locations serving metro Phoenix for more than two decades – found itself walking straight into the fire.
And it all started with a post showcasing the red hat. Yes, that one, the Make America Great Again hat.
Karla Barbosa, daughter of the restaurant’s owner and the public face of the business, proudly posted a photo of herself wearing the MAGA hat on social media.
But it wasn’t just the hat – it was the tone. The defiance. The unapologetic snub of those who are against President Donald Trump’s hard-line policies.
“Many are mad but trust the process,” Karla posted. “America will be great again.”
Tortas shop owner didn’t actually apologize
It wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t for the fact that the tortas shop’s customers are mostly Hispanic, many of whom are most certainly fearing deportation under Trump.
The reaction? Fast and furious.
And the backlash hasn’t simmered down – it’s still boiling, and customers who turned away, apparently, aren’t coming back anytime soon.
Its owner, Marco Antonio Barbosa, posted a video on social media reassuring customers that he and his wife are immigrants themselves and “would never hurt my community.”
But he never mentioned his daughter and Trump and never acknowledged the post. Essentially, he never apologized.
That was just a desperate attempt to get customers back.
MAGA hat backlash is a cautionary tale for businesses
Is it too little too late? Many on social media certainly think so and have gone out of their way to leave bad reviews everywhere they can.
I’ve left repeated messages for Marco Antonio, but he didn’t return them. Karla, meanwhile, has made her social media private. No statement. No walking back anything.
This isn’t just a story about a restaurant. It’s a cautionary tale.
Because in 2025, if you’re a Hispanic-owned business, politics isn’t something you can ignore – it’s the air you breathe, the fire you dodge, the storm you try to survive.
And for Tortas Manantial, that storm by many accounts still is hitting them hard.
Elvia Díaz is editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral, where this column originally appeared. Reach her at elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on X: @elviadiaz1
