Pizzeria Paradiso Closes For 'Day Without Immigrants' Protest

GEORGETOWN, DC — Showing support for the national "Day Without Immigrants" protest, a popular restaurant in Georgetown is closed on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Pizzeria Paradiso will not serve customers at three of its locations throughout the Washington, DC, area Thursday, including the Georgetown restaurant at 3282 M St. NW, the Old Town location and the VELOCE restaurant in DC. The Dupont Circle location will remain open.

"One of the greatest freedoms of this country exists in the First Amendment and people have the right to free speech and peaceful protest," chef and owner Ruth Gresser told Patch. "Many of my staff expressed a strong interest in exercising that right, and we decided to close our restaurants in support of their desire to do so."

This is a move many other businesses nationwide are making Thursday to show they oppose President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Organizers for the Day Without Immigrants protest are urging immigrants in the United States to skip class, call out of work and abstain from spending money Thursday to make clear they do not support Trump's immigration policies.

"Our Dupont Circle location remains opened and in the spirit of community," Gresser said. "Staff members from all locations, including myself, will work in the kitchen and the dining room to serve our guests."

When asked if she was worried about the closing affecting future business, Gresser told Patch she views their closing as sending a message of inclusion and acceptance, not one of opposition.

"By closing, our primary goal is to support our hardworking staff and family," Gresser said.

The first Pizzeria Paradiso location opened 25 years ago in Dupont Circle.

Since taking office, Trump has signed executive orders establishing the creation of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and cutting off federal grant money to "sanctuary cities," jurisdictions where local governments do not enforce federal immigration laws.

»SEE ALSO: Bethesda Restaurant Closes For 'Day Without Immigrants' Protest

In Washington, D.C., more than 30 restaurants are closing as part of the boycott. Businesses in Chicago, Minneapolis and Austin, Texas, are also participating.

All Sweetgreen locations in the DC area are closed Thursday, says The Washington Post, including the Bethesda site at 4831 Bethesda Ave. and the Silver Spring location at 8517 Georgia Ave.

A Day Without Immigrants march is also planned in Baltimore at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Creative Alliance at 3134 Eastern Avenue. Participants will walk to Patterson Park during the demonstration.

"Our staff is very diverse, and we have new immigrants and first, second and third generation Americans who work at our restaurants," Gresser said. "It's very representative of the melting pot that is America."

Patch Editor Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting for this story.

Photo: Pizzeria Paradiso Facebook