A Washington state restaurant calling itself the Soup Nazi Kitchen has provoked the ire of local residents.
The Everett, Washington restaurant, which opened on Tuesday, is named in reference to an episode of Seinfeld in which the short fused owner of a soup kitchen is referred to as the "Soup Nazi."
One day later, the restaurant had already been hit with spray paint and pellet gun bullets, reported local newspaper, the Herald Business Journal.
After garnering upset reactions from the city's Jewish community, who spoke with him about the name, restaurant owner Andrew Ho removed the word "Nazi" from the sign, which features an angry woman with a whip.
“It really diminishes and makes light of the horrors of the Holocaust,” Rabbi Rachel Kort of Everett’s Temple Beth Or," said in an interview with the Herald Business Journal.
Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin released a statement on social media reiterating that the city of Everett strives to be welcoming for all its residents.
"Unfortunately, recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have greatly restricted the City’s authority to regulate the wording of signs and largely prohibits the City from banning signs based on the hateful or offensive wording in that sign," she said.
"However, we strongly urge and prefer that our businesses not use hateful, culturally-insensitive, derogatory or offensive wording or images in their signage or business materials," she added.