A Brooklyn coffee shop is getting roasted after rescinding service to a prominent New York politician because he supports Israel.
Poetica coffee house in Williamsburg posted on social media Sunday that staffers digitally refunded U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman the arguably overpriced $9.82 coffee he bought while campaigning with his family in the borough.
“Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?” The post appears to point to the Manhattan-Brooklyn Representative’s stance that supports Israel in the Israel-Hamas war, started by terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, that led to an invasion of Gaza that left thousands of people dead.
The post continues with workers telling Goldman to keep out of the shop.
“See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between,” the message reads. “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.”
Poetica Coffee in Williamsburg, owned by Parviz Mukhamadkulov (inset), brewed up a feud with U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman and refused his business over his pro-Israel stance.Photo via Google Maps/Inset via LinkedIn
The controversy erupted just a day before Goldman will square off against former city comptroller Brad Lander in a closely watched primary on June 23. Lander, who has aligned himself with progressive Democratic Socialists of America members, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is leading in polls right now.
It is unclear who at Poetica issued the digital refund for Goldman’s now-free coffee, why the decision was made public, or whether customers’ political views factor into how they are treated at the shop. amNewYork tried calling and messaging the shop for answers, but was unable to get through.
Poetica Coffee/Facebook
According to a New York Post article, staff at Poetica declined to comment for the newspaper’s story, yet one staffer said, “No comment. We stand against genocide.”
A spokesperson for Goldman told amNewYork the Congress member was campaigning with his kids when he bought a coffee at Poetica while his daughter used the bathroom, adding that the encounter went “great.”
“Our campaign has had multiple canvass events at Poetica,” he said about the shop, which has multiple locations around the city. “This has not been an issue in the past.”
Goldman, meanwhile, responded directly to Poetica’s post — perhaps in a way that was sweeter than sugar in coffee.
“I’m sorry to see this post. The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me, allowing her to use the bathroom even though we had not purchased anything,” he wrote. “I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserves.”
amNewYork reached out to Lander’s campaign for his thoughts on the incident, but is awaiting a response.
Rep. Dan Goldman and former city Comptroller Brad Lander appeared separately at a NY-10 candidate forum hosted by New York Law School and sponsored by Abundance New York and NYC New Liberals.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Meanwhile, comments on the post overwhelmingly expressed support for Goldman, with some even calling for a boycott of the coffee house.
“Hey, Poetica Coffee: Do you know that your coffee’s poor rating and foul taste is exceeded only by your classlessness, antisemitism, unprofessionalism and ignorance?” one commenter wrote.
Another person wrote, “Looks like I’ll avoid this place on my next NYC visit.”
Someone else chimed in to say, “You might want to take this down,” with laughing emojis.
At press time, the post was still on Poetica’s Facebook page.
While both Goldman and Lander support Israel, Lander has taken a more critical stance toward the country’s handling of the war in Gaza. He has also aligned himself with progressive Democrats, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who favor a more assertive U.S. response to Israel’s government policies and military tactics.