Memphis Pizza Shop: Boom After Refusing National Guard Troops—Right Move?

Business

Supporters flocked to this pizza shop, turning a boycott call into a “buy-cott.”

Supporters rallied after refusal, reporting higher volume at the pizza shop.
Owner links Guard tactics to fear and alleged enforcement failures.
Local backlash and calls for boycott met unexpected customer growth.

A Memphis pizza shop that became a flashpoint after refusing service to National Guard members says its business is now booming, not collapsing, drawing further attention to a widening culture-war debate over policing and protest. Miles Tamboli, owner of Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza, said he refused to serve four uniformed National Guard troops on July 11, stating he opposes the federally led Memphis Safe Task Force and believes the initiative has made the city less safe.

The confrontation quickly spread online, triggering conservative activists to call for a boycott while critics questioned whether the refusal constituted unfair treatment. Tamboli told Fox News Digital that he stands by his decision and argued the task force’s approach has relied heavily on routine traffic stops rather than violent-crime enforcement. He also said fear has kept families from normal activities such as driving to work or taking children to school.

Tamboli pointed to deaths he said have occurred during task force operations, including the killing of a 20-year-old, Tyrin Johnson, during a foot chase, which he said involved no body-camera footage and has produced little clarity for the victim’s family. He further referenced the case of Jonah Neal, described by Tamboli as a person in a mental health crisis when a federal agent killed him. Local reporting cited supportive responses in the days that followed. One account described the restaurant opening to a full house and a line forming early in the evening, with staff bringing in extra help. Tamboli said the week after the incident roughly doubled normal volume and that the increased support has not slowed.

He also insisted that his regular customers have continued to return and that he does not track customers’ politics. Tamboli said the only exception is refusing uniformed National Guard members, which he described as the core message of his protest. The episode has been framed by supporters as resistance and by critics as controversial. Still, the restaurant’s claim of increased demand has turned the debate into one of immediate economic impact—whether a boycott can backfire and become a “buy-cott” instead.

Business Honor views the Memphis pizza shop’s refusal sparked outrage, yet supporters responded with stronger foot traffic and sales.