A Memphis pizza restaurant that refused service to members of the National Guard has reported a significant increase in business, which supporters have dubbed a "buy-cott." The owner stated his decision stemmed from opposition to the federally led Memphis Safe Task Force.
Miles Tamboli, owner of Tamboli's Pasta & Pizza, confirmed that the week following the July 11 incident, his establishment experienced its busiest period, with lines forming before opening on most nights. He reported that sales roughly doubled during this time.
Tamboli explained his objection to the Memphis Safe Task Force, established in September 2025, which integrates local police with federal agents, the Tennessee National Guard, and state troopers to combat violent crime. He argued that the task force has negatively impacted the city's safety, citing its reliance on routine traffic stops for arrests and an atmosphere of fear among residents.
"What the Task Force has actually done is make this city harder to live in," Tamboli stated. "Its own records show that the overwhelming majority of its arrests began with routine traffic stops, not violent crime. Families in this city are now afraid to drive to work, afraid to take their kids to school, afraid to be seen."
He also pointed to specific incidents, including the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson by National Guard troops and the death of Jonah Neal during a mental health crisis involving a federal agent. "Four people are dead at the hands of this task force since it came to Memphis, in a city where violent crime had already fallen to a 25-year low before they arrived," Tamboli said.
Despite initial backlash online after refusing service to four uniformed members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, Tamboli asserted that local support has been overwhelmingly positive. He claimed to have received no communication from regular customers stating they would not return.
"A small business owner using his First Amendment right to run his place by his own conscience is about as American as it gets," Tamboli added. "The people trying to punish that speech, the ones review-bombing me and the ones cheering the government on, are the ones who walked away from the Constitution they claim to love."