Bay Area caviar business gets threats, loses customers as people mistake it for Russian firm
A Bay Area business is getting harassed by people who think it's a Russian caviar company.
Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Company operates a cafe inside the San Francisco Ferry Building. It has received threats including letters saying things like, "Go back to Russia."
COVID hit the business hard, and now it is dealing with this. Soon after the war in Ukraine erupted, so did the hateful messages including verbal threats from people passing by along with disparaging and hateful letters.
"Some of the letters have been pretty intimidating and I know for my staff members that it's a lot," said company president Ali Bolourchi, adding that online sales have plummeted by about 50%.
A friend of the business inside the Ferry Building has been handing out "Support Ukraine" buttons to build unity. He heard about what was happening to some shops and employees like Tim.
"People make the wrong assumption," said the friend identified only as Bob. "There was a history with Czar Nicolas in Russia but they're just not knowing the facts. They should'nt penalize companies that have no connection to Russia."
Proudly wearing the buttons and displaying the Ukrainian flag have helped thwart some of the ignorance, as customers are doing what they can, too.
"It feels right as a Californian to come here and eat here," said customer Kahadijah Al Faraj.
"I'm not entirely shocked to hear it," said customer Mike Capuchi. "You're seeing they're a lot of hockey players that are getting a ton of hate in the NHL for being Russian-born.
The cafe is American owned and operated, with no other ties to Russia. In fact, the caviar they sell is produced at a sturgeon farm less than two hours from San Francisco.
The company is bearing the brunt of bigotry and ignorance like many others around them.
"There are a lot of Eastern European immigrants with amazing food establishments and restaurants, that are probably feeling the same way," said Bolourchi. "We have some neighbors that are Ukrainian and they're mistaken for Russian very often. The beauty of America is ultimately at one point or another we're all immigrants just separated by about what generation we got here."
The company has now added extra cameras inside their Ferry Building cafe, and security at its facilities in Concord to address some of the recent threats.
