She issued a statement that reads in part, “As a school board member, I am committed to staying engaged with my community. “It’s just a cheery place to be.”ħNews reached out to Leonardi. “It’s bright and fun and just meant to put people in a good mood,” he said. Zieba said Rosie’s is more of a restaurant than a bar, and he hopes the school visits will continue. “No, it’s not anything like that at all.” You’re not gay, you cannot come in,'” said another woman. “There’s no, ‘Oh, you’re gay, you can come in. “And the food is great,” said her daughter. It’s a wonderful place everyone’s super, super nice,” said. It’s family-friendly, and we’ve gone there several times,” said a woman, “so I don’t think it’s an issue I think it’s a great thing.”Īnother woman said she routinely takes her young daughter to Rosie’s. “Some things have been referred to the police department, not necessarily direct threats but things that should happen to us.”Īrea residents who spoke with 7News said this is a non-issue. “Many, many phone calls and emails today that we’ve been fielding from people that are not even from Florida, that have never been here,” said Zieba. On the most recent trip, children got the chance to color pumpkins.īut Zieba said the social media attention has led to a hate-filled reaction, he said, and he has since reached out to Wilton Manors Police.
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They talk about what they’re eating and how to order and how they want their food - if they want something on the side, so it’s a great experience for them.” “You can just see that they’re just enjoying themselves. “It’s really such a cool experience to see the kids’ faces light up, and how excited they are when their food comes, or when they get the bill,” said Zieba. They also learn how to pay the bill and tip the server. Zieba said the children learn a little about the restaurant business and order from a kid-friendly menu. “It’s a really nice event,” said Rosie’s co-owner John Zieba. That description ignited an online debate as to whether such a trip was appropriate for young children, even with parental permission. But when Broward County School Board Member Sarah Leonardi, who chaperoned the group during this week’s trip, posted about it on Facebook, it led to an online story that called Rosie’s a “gay bar.”