By Jack Mayne

Mike Nordean – owner of Wally’s Chowder House in Des Moines – recently posted on the restaurant’s website a statement about his son Ethan’s involvement in an extremist hate group called the Proud Boys.

The Southern Poverty Law Center designated them as a Hate Group, and says “rank-and-file Proud Boys and leaders regularly spout white nationalist memes and maintain affiliations with known extremists.”

‘Love my son’
Nordean said he wanted to say “right off the bat that I love my son.”

But he admits “I was slow to recognize how radical and violent that group is.

“Those beliefs are NOT the values shared by my family, my businesses, and this community. Writing this is not easy, in part because of the personal guilt and frustration I feel for not paying closer attention and in part because I was frankly naïve.”

Until very recently, he said he and his wife my “were blind to the ideology that our son supports. We were told by our son that this group was a ‘patriotic’ group that were ‘protectors’ who stood up for freedom of speech and traditional values.

“We regretfully believed him.”

Eyes opened
He said of he and his wife, “in light of recent social events, our eyes have been opened.”

They “have reached out to our employees and those in our community who are understandably concerned to reassure them that we are listening, and to tell them that OUR values and the core values of our businesses are respect, decency, and open communication.”

But rumors have been floating.

‘Appalled’
“Let me be clear,” wrote Nordean. “Ethan no longer works for our restaurants. We do not share his misguided beliefs.

“We are disappointed and appalled that he has chosen this path,” he wrote.

“I want to say clearly that our restaurants respect diversity, Period. We reserve the right to refuse service and members of hate groups are not welcome in our establishments.”

Nordean wrote that Des Moines “has always been my home and I know it as a place of tolerance and grace. We hope you will continue to support our restaurants, our great employees, and this community.

“Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.”

Here’s the full text of Nordean’s statement:

My name is Mike Nordean, owner of Wally’s Chowder House and Wally’s Drive-in. I want to address some serious comments being shared on the Internet and in local social media groups – some true and some not – involving the extreme activist group my son, Ethan, has embraced.

Let me say right off the bat that I love my son. That said, I admit that I was slow to recognize how radical and violent that group is. Those beliefs are NOT the values shared by my family, my businesses, and this community. Writing this is not easy, in part because of the personal guilt and frustration I feel for not paying closer attention and in part because I was frankly naïve.

My son, Ethan, is involved with an extremist group called the “Proud Boys.” Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. Until very recently, my wife and I were blind to the ideology that our son supports. We were told by our son that this group was a “patriotic” group that were “protectors” who stood up for freedom of speech and traditional values. We regretfully believed him.

In light of recent social events, our eyes have been opened. We have reached out to our employees and those in our community who are understandably concerned to reassure them that we are listening, and to tell them that OUR values and the core values of our businesses are respect, decency, and open communication.

Because there have been rumors floating, let me be clear: Ethan no longer works for our restaurants. We do not share his misguided beliefs. We are disappointed and appalled that he has chosen this path.

I want to say clearly that our restaurants respect diversity. Period. We reserve the right to refuse service, and members of hate groups are not welcome in our establishments.

Finally, Des Moines has always been my home and I know it as a place of tolerance and grace. We hope you will continue to support our restaurants, our great employees, and this community.

50 replies on “Owner of Wally’s says ‘not easy’ to disavow son’s involvement with ‘Proud Boys’ extremist group”

  1. Hi. My family has been silently boycotting your restaurant for over two years because of this. We’ve known about it for that long. It has been wildly known that Proud Boys are and have been a hate group. Happy to see your statement now, but the damage has been done and this is not enough to the marginalized groups that have assumed you supported Proud Boys all along.

    1. Same!

      I’m not sure how someone could not know that the proud boys are a hate group.

      I grew up going to Wally’s and I’ll never go there again.

      Time to give some support to the people your son has been actively working against.

    2. I agree with Sile Grace Matsui and Rex! My family has boycotted Wally’s for years also. This “apology” is too little and years too late. I understand about dealing with your children’s choices. I have a teenage son. The best you can do is teach your children to respect others and be a positive role model for them. “The Apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree” they say. Unfortunately, Ethan’s racist views and violent threats have poisoned the reputation of Wally’s. I don’t know if this business supports this hate group or the government officials who embolden groups like these.

    3. This is ridiculous, it’s disgusting that when someone changes their perspective, or realizes that they are in the wrong, that you continue to harass and intimidate a family this way. I have lived here in Des Moines my entire life, I’m a progressive, and I know Mike very well. He has always been a kind and giving person who runs a restaurant that employs people from so many different backgrounds. Dragging them through the mud when they’re trying to listen and learn is the opposite of what we should do – how can we as a community expect to ask people to change when we only harass them once they attempt to change?

    4. Same, we only went there once and my fiancée even posted a review in Google about your restaurant. Saying the food is good, but finding out your family had affiliations to the Proud Boys, ruined our experience for us and we decided not to come back. How can you not know the extent, that he was a self proclaimed “Sargent at Arms” for the Proud Boys. Hindsight is 20/20, big question is, who do you CONTINUE to support? Your son, the terrorist (According to Canada) or the diverse Des Moines community that you so proudly serve. Yes, disavowing your son is hard, but you have to choose and your son put you in this situation.

  2. If Wally’s wishes to make things right with their customers and vendors, they need to make a considerable donation the BLM movement.

    Put your money where your mouth is!!

      1. I agree. Money is not the thing then need. It’s hard enough for restaurants to survive given current circumstances. He sounds very contrite, and I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But then again, I live 70 miles north and don’t really care about Des Moines, after living there through my High School years.

        That being said, equating BLM with the DNC is divisive and borders on stupid.

    1. Yeah. BLM will certainly do the right thing with the money. You know. They will lift up struggling black youth and build facilities to do the same. They will stand for all lives, regardless of color. NOT!!! Are you kidding. Give them money to destroy people’s lives and business. It is ironic you are responding to the inability of this family to discern weather their son was part of a hate group. Much of America sees BLM in the same light as Proud Boys.

      1. Patrick, you are a friend I have not met. We and friends believe that BLM is equal to Antifa and other domestic terror groups. Our frequent dinners at Wally’s will not be interrupted by some who only have criticism to offer without solutions. My favorite there is the Scallop Platter. Yours?

        1. Pat you post a comment BLM is equal to a domestic terror group. You do realize the city Council voted 7 to 0 not time-long ago to pass a proclamation saying racism is a public health crisis and declaring support for Black Lives Matter? You saying the council unanimously supports a terrorist group?

          1. Just recovering from something. Sorry for not responding earlier. It is not my area of responsibility to pronounce judgment on our city council or an of our city leadership. First, I will strongly defend the equality of American Citizens of color, while remaining wary of those coming from jihadist nations. I must admit that I missed the decree from the council related to the Black Lives Matter Organization. Listening to a very articulate and well-educated black lady on TV last evening, who seemed to agree with my present philosophy. B.L.M is more interested in disruption and has been infiltrated with hate groups, Antifa for one. Our city council may have “jumped the gun” on this, while I remain dedicated to my position. Ou should address your concern to the council as you know, they will listen. Thank you for your observation, Michael.

    2. .

      Liberty Rises and the Darkness Recoils.

      Black Lives Matter (BLM), AntiFa (AF), RefuseFa (RF), Color of Change (COC),
      CASA de Maryland (CDM), Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI),
      By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) are each and severally Leninist Marxist
      entities – chartered to disintegrate the American Republic in violence.

      These groups operate under the Primal Race Struggle deconstruction
      expedient Communist Moses Hess wrote of in 1862,
      in “Rome and Jerusalem”.

      These groups are funded by Globalist Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO),
      and domestic US 501(c)(3) Non Profit organizations – all at behest of
      Anglo Banker henchman like George Soros – see his
      Open Society Foundations (OSF).

      It really is all about the mammon.

      What ‘Open Society’ means is to quite literally tear open Society
      and eviscerate it from the inside out, thereby disintegrating it.

      This is accomplished through direct violence and a programmatic
      system of deceit called “Critical Theory”. Marx advocated using
      criticism as a means of destroying the Host society,
      and Critical Theory (CT) is that vehicle.

      CT plugs into a larger construct for societal upheaval called
      Cultural Marxism (CM) intended to debase and destroy all
      traditions, values & progress of the Host Society.

      Political Correctness (PC) is an adjunct of this deceitful design.

      Any action, statement or response from those who would
      defend an indefensible allegiance to these Marxist groups,
      can only be deemed canard, falsehood & deception.

      Marxists must always deconstruct the Host Society before
      installing their repressive, brutal and godless Collectives.

      The work of the Proud Boys has been measured, appropriate,
      patriotic, Godly and righteous.

      Ethan has brilliantly embodied these lasting American values –
      Standing Fast in the Liberty His Creator provided for himself
      and all freedom loving Americans. He stands as a Champion
      of Western Justice, Resilience & Valor.

      American Freedom & Christ’s Liberty will prevail, despite
      willful prevarications and cavilings of the moment from
      Marxist fodder – who bug-like, do not see the approach
      of a Globalist windshield, that will render all of their
      deluded machinations inert in instant, should mammon
      prevail for the nonce.

      Contrast the icon of Ethan’s thundering Right Cross in
      stalwart self-defense of the Republic, to the deluded
      pathos of Yvette Falarca’s tiny Marxist tummy punches –

      There is no comparison.

      In Proverbs Chapter 1 of the King James Bible, we see
      the earliest description of the impulse to Collectivism
      that shadows the human heart. It is a controlling lust
      which yet dogs human experience.

      From King Solomon we thus have wise counsel,

      7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge:
      but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

      8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
      and forsake not the law of thy mother:

      9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,
      and chains about thy neck.

      10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

      11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood,
      let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

      12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave;
      and whole,
      as those that go down into the pit:

      13 We shall find all precious substance,
      we shall fill our houses with spoil:

      14 Cast in thy lot among us;
      let us all have one purse:

      15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them;
      refrain thy foot from their path:

      16 For their feet run to evil,
      and make haste to shed blood.

      America founded in Christ’s Liberty will endure
      in the heart & sinew of Ethan Nordean and two
      hundred million more like him.

      Godspeed Liberty!

      In Christ Jesus…Amen.

      .

      1. .

        Addendum Update.

        Recent admissions of witchcraft & demonic
        African rituals among so-called leaders of
        Black Lives Matter (BLM) – summoning spirits
        and casting spells – is the kind of really nutty,
        evil delusion, long informing Marxist purposes.

        Karl Marx himself openly rejected his Creator,
        in pernicious, full throttle rebellion from God.

        See “Marx & Satan” by Richard Wurmbrand,
        to witness the hateful doggerel Marx penned,
        fully self-possessed by his own willful rebellion –
        while yet acknowledging nonetheless the
        existence of God in the very act of defiance.

        Lucifer did this too.

        So did Chicago Capone Gang mobster Saul Alinsky
        in his “Rules for Radicals” – dedicating his book to
        the first rebel – Satan.

        In the present BLM instant, knuckleheads
        Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza & Opal Tometi –
        reputed BLM Co-Founders – have been
        indoctrinated into the base African rituals
        of Melina Abdulla, a wacked-out
        Cal State Los Angeles “African Studies” witch,
        who openly flaunts her Satanic nonsense
        on Youtube, in the classroom and in
        such other venues as opportunity presents.

        You can’t make this stuff up.

        So the BLM Black Chicks from West Hollywood
        dabbling in sorcery, were recruited from
        broken homes – with few prospects for
        contribution to society – off the Crack confused
        streets of L.A., out of the thoroughly Culturally
        Marxised Indoctrination Centers (public schools)
        by Marxist Operators bent on following through
        with nearly a century of specious
        ‘Primal Race Struggle’ in America.

        Who are these recruiting Operators?

        The man who recruits & trains BLM Chicks
        is Eric Mann, a former “Weatherman”
        Leninist-Marxist Terrorist, operating with
        his gonzo wife Lian Hurst Mann,
        who figured prominently in the
        “Berkley Radical Psychiatry Collective”
        of the 1960’s & 70’s.

        Together they formed the Los Angeles
        “Labor Community Strategy Center” to
        infiltrate into UAW labor unions and
        other unsuspecting, nominally hard
        working, dues paying, segments of
        the SoCal population.

        Eric Mann served two years in prison for
        attempted murder, following his attack on
        the “Harvard Center for International Affairs”
        in Cambridge, MA in November of 1969.

        Now Eric Mann knocks down well into
        a six figure, very pragmatic, income,
        for turning little black girls’ heads around,
        in ‘Long March’ pursuit of his bloodline
        Communist fantasies – which first corrupted
        his sad deluded noodle, in his pugilist youth
        under Marxist parents in the Northeast.

        Street Action by BLM Patrisse Cullors, including
        ‘inciting to riot’, riot, looting & insurrection
        in Los Angeles on the last Saturday in May, 2020,
        Demon-strates these little black girls have
        fully internalized the indoctrination of the Manns’
        wistful reminiscences of Frankfurt School,
        Critical Theory, Race & Feminist Revolutions –
        amalgamating the two together – like Barry Soetoro,
        aka Barack Hussein Obama did, as President
        of the United States, welcoming Brittany Packnett
        Cunningham of BLM to the White House
        conference table to be greeted by the nation’s
        Chief Law Enforcement Officer, US Attorney General
        Loretta Lynch. It appears Lynch forgot her handcuffs
        because Cunningham remains at large.

        Again, you can’t make this up.

        There are enough bats in the belfry of present
        American Marxists from the Rose City,
        Rich Kid, Beta Male, AntiFa Useful Idiots,
        to the Old Style, Rich Kid, Leninist-Marxist
        Prevaricating Terrorists who still beaver away
        polluting the minds of American youth in
        Chicago – like Bill Ayers & Bernardine Dohrn –
        to the penetrated departments of the Federal
        Government under Barry Soebama & his closet
        Marxist CIA operative John Brennan, to make
        their crazy heads spin.

        But this stuff is all being tracked,
        and not just by law enforcement.

        You see, should there ever in a million years,
        be enough traction for this nonsense to
        actually deconstruct American Freedom –
        which yet remains backed by a billion personal
        arms and a couple hundred million Patriots –
        the Moneyed Powers That Be (read Anglo Bankers)
        will quickly sweep away all living remnants
        and evidence of the Marxist agent provocateurs,
        who they now pay to rebel against themselves (!).

        That is the bald irony of the Marxist delusion –
        they serve the Puppet Masters they seek to
        disintegrate, knowing one day the knock will come
        to end their usefulness for the Globalist
        Banker Collective to which they pledged obeisance.

        Good times people.

        Strange times.

        .

  3. I agree…. wrong beginning. ..” I love my son”…. ok…you hate us for disagreeing with his beliefs…..

    Sell the restaurant to people who agree with our community. Your son and his friends and anyone who accepts him or them are not welcome. I loved your scallops dinner…. but will do without. There is no excuse for hate.

  4. I once was a repeat customer of Wally’s until I heard about the Proud Boy’s affiliation a while back. I really want to give the owner the benefit of the doubt when he says that he had no idea about his son’s group. However, I have spoken with a woman who was a long time employee at Wally’s in Des Moines whom quit nearly a year ago. She indicated that she quit because of the Proud Boys gatherings and was clear to the management that this facilitated her departure. It’s hard to believe the owner could have been so clueless for so long regarding the Proud Boys. I just can’t help but feel like this public statement is now being made because the business is losing money and/or because of bad press.

    This being said, I hope I’m wrong. Everyone should be given a chance to redeem themselves. Wally’s still has a great opportunity to reestablish trust with the community moving forward. This is a start, but actions speak louder than words and many will be paying attention to what happens next, including me.

    1. Excellent response, Brent. I too am really trying to understand just how naive a person could be considering the multiple reports of his son’s specific involvement (he’s an “elder” of this hate group). Given how long it’s been going on, the response does seem too little, too late.

      I’d really like them to respond about the supposed Proud Boys meetings that were held at the restaurant and what they’re doing/have done about them… Rumors are circulating that they’re not the most open about discussing the matter (hanging up on people who call, etc.).

    2. Longtime customer here.
      Guess i will have to stand down and stand by on my next order of chowder.
      Fish House in Burien is great and is devoid of right-wing nonsense from the ownership.

  5. ?Solidarity and Direct Action Seattle
    January 9, 2019 · Shared with Public
    [Intel Alert] Proud Boy “elder” Ethan Nordean, whose family owns Wally’s Chowder House Broiler in Des Moines WA, and the rest of his cohort of Proud Boy leadership want to be very clear that murderer Buckey Wolfe was NEVER a Proud Boy because they have the STRICTEST vetting standards and would NEVER allow somebody who believes in “lizard people” (an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory) into their ranks.”

    This has been PUBLICLY documented for at least 18months, so claiming not to know til now is not realistic.

    1. Further, there are published photos from inside Wally’s of Proud Boy gatherings, going back to 2017/18. ( will not gratify them, by re-posting them), but a simple search will pull them up on google and facebook with date stamps. This was not an unknown thing.

  6. I was very glad to see this, and now we will support Wally’s again. You can choose to pick apart Mr. Nordean’s past (in-)action and admitted ignorance, but I think it’s much more constructive to welcome his investigation, his apology, and his allyship. This is progress. This is something that should be welcomed and celebrated. Thank-you, Mr. Nordean.

    Black Lives Matter

  7. Now he just needs to publicly denounce his wife Judy for all her homophobic and Islamophobic social media interactions and perhaps the community will be willing to return to his business. Not that people are going to buy that his wife and son hold these beliefs and he doesn’t…

  8. Judy deleting her Twitter account does not erase her history.

    So unfortunate. You guys made really good fish and chips.

  9. I eat at wally’s all the time and have never been treated bad there and have always seen other people of color working and eating there. Sure loks like hateful mob mentality from people who dont personaly know the business

  10. What kind of a loser throws his own child under the bus to appease violent anti-American leftists? At the end of the day you won’t be proud of your decision and you won’t be given any credit by the mob. You deserve what is coming your way for abandoning your own child. No my patronage isn’t coming your way.

    1. Someone who figured out that being a racist isn’t a financially sound business decision. Might want to take a lesson.

  11. My wife and I used to enjoy going to Des Moines and even considered retiring there, but its not the town I enjoyed growing up. The combination of losing the Waterland Festival on the water, charging people to visit the pier and the way that Wallys has changed from what Moby Dougs was is too much.

    1. I agree on all three things. One of my favorite things growing up was going to the marina, seeing all the beautiful boats, and walking in the park. They have ruined that, they’ve taken away Waterland Festival, and i do not want to support the owners of Wallys.

  12. I was a long time customer of their drive-in in Buckley and stopped not long ago over the knowledge of Proud Boys being involved. While I am glad Mike came out and denounced it more has to be done.

    Maybe host some BLM functions and fund raising?

    Black Lives Matter.

  13. After hearing Mr. Martinelli on the council’s TV June 25th streamed meeting & then reading the Waterland blog – all I can say is are you serious, Wow!

    I have an extensive background in Small Business management, particularly in Restaurants – having once owned a successful small business and parenting. Yes, I was trained as a foster parent before I became a parent myself some 40 years ago.
    I want to make some ‘life experience’ comments & observations about what is happening to Mike Nordean, the owner of Wallys as a result apparently of his sons affiliation & activities.

    Personally I can’t begin to imagine his personal level of hurt, humiliation & shame that he must be feeling. He raised & loved & instilled the values he expected his son would take into adulthood and that simply isn’t happening. Mike has always been an upstanding & supportive Business in Des Moines & he deserves to be treated better than he is receiving from his community. His son led him to believe he was active with a ‘patriotic group’. This is what adult people do when they know their parent would not approve; minimize the truth, skirt the issues & only tell what they know the parent would want to hear – then drop it & change the subject. At some point most every parent, if honest will admit that their kid did something that really disappointed them. But life goes on & it will be resolved one way or another. You might be disappointed but you still love you child. That is what his letter/response said. The fact is that once emancipated a parent can advise, plead even – you can NOT make them change. They have to change themselves. All any parent can do is to be supportive for the change & that takes time & sometimes doesn’t ever happen.

    Now from the business side of things – It is REALLY hard to run a business even when things are going swimmingly. Restaurant work adds even more to consider as many of your employees are young & usually trained while doing the job as they are being paid by you. Many young people these days do not seem to possess many of the ‘once taken for granted’ work ethics like showing up when scheduled, being on time & giving 100% effort, dressing appropriately… Small businesses adjust to change all the time while they pay the usual bills & wages & taxes & conform to various rules & regulations. As a small business owner you are always BUSY – if you’re not doing, you are covering the unattended but essential tasks – and then there is the worrying when you are supposedly ‘off’.

    So now let’s add a Pandemic Virus & the forced shut down & all the additional struggles to try to keep your employees and their familys from starving, losing their housing etc.

    I don’t Facebook . I don’t usually blog, but this has me so incensed I just couldn’t remain silent any longer. This is has moved beyond being self righteous & short sighted. I am reminded of the old saying about living in glass houses & those of you with children, be careful because you just don’t know / no one can predict the future except at some point adult children WILL disappoint.
    Maybe I am delusional but I thought that being on a City’s council meant that you represented you constituents concerns and also worked toward the betterment of the City & its businesses – the City’s bread & butter. NOT publically chastising or defaming any business or person. I am gob smacked!

    What I do know is that at Wally’s you will get wonderful food, even accommodating to those of us that are not huge fish lovers & very pleasant surroundings & that is perfect for any family’s night out.

    1. Marci, thank you for this beautiful observation and ability to articulate the majority of right-thinking citizens of this little community. We, too, have found Michael Nordean, a man of impeccable character, a friend of anyone who enters his domain, which is strong enough to enunciate a painful apology. Virus or not, we dine at Wally’s almost weekly and enjoy each and every one of the servers there who represent the diversity of our Des Moines population. The love of a parent for their issue sometimes screens reality, but that love cannot be extinguished by erroneous, even evil views or activities, This is and should remain a family matter, let’s put it to bed.

    2. I agree. So many of these comments are truly hateful in tone – apparently written by those whose families are perfect. The judgmental comments (with NO first hand experience) have surely added to the family’s pain. Please, go bother someone else. I personally spoke with the Chief of Police (something I wish the reporter would have done) and Des Moines is not a bastion for hate groups, including the Proud Boys. Mike Nordean, however, IS a stand-up man. When guests arrive for lunch or dinner, his staff will make you feel appreciated, will serve you professionally, and will thank you for your patronage when you leave. We need more business leaders like Mike Nordeen.

      1. “Margaret” –

        FYI we too have personally spoken with both Police Chief Ken Thomas and City Manager Michael Matthias about this issue. Neither would comment publicly for a story.

        Also we have never reported anything to imply that Des Moines is a “bastion for hate groups.” This story is based purely on Mr. Nordean’s public announcement on his company’s website (linked within); we’ve known about his son’s alleged ties to the Proud Boys for years too, but only posted this once Mr. Nordean went public.

        Comments within this post however are all reader-generated.

        Thanks,
        Scott Schaefer
        Publisher/Editor

      2. Years of these neo-Klan meetups at Wally’s will always make me think this place should just be named The Pride Chowder House.

        All of the ignorant white retirees can feel free to forgive and forget, but like Karl Popper has discussed: no tolerance for the intolerant. Wally’s owners can’t get bent until they do more than flap their gums and try to scrub their online presence.

        How about holding BLM meetings when the pandemic is over, or just sell it to the workers as a collective or another owner all together?

        Yeah, right. They just want to go back to being closet bigots, make a milk toast public post, and hope everyone eventually forgets about this. With racial tensions being so high, I doubt anyone but said Des Moines casual racists will move on.

        Until something is really done, Wally’s is as dead to me as their fish and thug son’s soul. Not like these’s other businesses that could use the money in these struggling times. I pick mine, you pick yours.

      3. This is about a message from the city and where we stand on racism not how many or how much do ppl like Mike? Shame on him for expecting us to believe he was naive about the mission of the proud boys or the depth of his sons involvement. If I knew & heard surely they did. Look at the prideful boosting his son does publicly, he didn’t share that with parents he saw at work and home consistently? I am never asking a parent to not care about their child, with that said don’t ask me not to care about my community!! the day of excusing any form of racism is over, thank god. The best thing the owner can do if he wants privacy is to not own a public establishment. Humanity is not negotiable, racism is sickening and a crime against humanity. All that sympathy for Mike cause his son chose PB, how about scared black parents, or grieving ones, who’s kids did not choose being black? Shame on anyone person that doesn’t clearly see the wrong here, the sympathy is misplaced on Mike and family. Esp due to a letter that is sorely late and quite honestly lacking in truth and accountability. I for one won’t stop enc. ppl to eat elsewhere

  14. We have enjoyed seafood at Wally’s since it changed from “Moby Doug’s” where we only ate once, never to return. “Boycotting” Wally’s, to us, is not an option because they have a fruit cocktail of our Des Moines population of servers who would suffer. From shades of brown to pinks and tans, they work hard bringing ocean delights prepared by a Hispanic chef who is a kitchen saint. Instead of boycotting, why not dine there and add a little extra to your usual tip? Who knows, you might be helping one of these low wage earners to attain a degree. We shouldn’t punish these good young ones who smile at our table as they serve.

    1. I can’t go back. It never felt right in there, almost every time I went. The dad’s allocution-was based on financed, not education.

      My grandmother used to tell us to listen to that little voice inside, it would never lead you wrong. I should have listened. Never again-and we used to LOVE lunches there!

    2. Nah, they should sell the business to non-racists. Until then, I’ll support other businesses that also like non-white workers and money–I suspect that these owners really only care about the color green, unfortunately. I’ll never eat there again. Shame really, food was pretty good. Oh well, gotta have some principles at the end of the day.

      Actions have consequences; or rather, lack of actions have consequences. Too little, too late, etc., etc.

  15. Too bad, so sad. I’m not white enough to eat at your fish and chips joint. I’ll just go to Ivar’s you Nazi-loving losers.t

  16. Wow! How many of the people judging the father have kids burning and looting in the name of ANTIFA and BLM in Portland and Seattle? Are you responsible, apparently the answer is yes! Shame on you! Hypocrisy at its finest.

  17. Ethan is shaped in (at least) his mother’s image. I have plenty jpg’s of Qanon, racist, bigoted posts that Judy Nordean has posted. I call bull on Daddy’s statement, the whole family is rotten. I’ll never give ’em a dime of my money.

    1. Please, share. People really want the fantasy of the daddy crying without tears to mean something. I would like to see the posts I have heard about, but no one else has them anymore. thank you for your time.

  18. I stopped eating at Wally’s when I first learned the son was a proud boy and had been put in charge of running the restaurant. That was about two years ago. It was an easy adjustment as there are many other places to eat. The “I didn’t Know” defense rings hollow to me. Time to sell the business and move to Texas.

    1. Ethan hasn’t worked there for years and his dad even said in a city counsel meeting last year that he wasnt even allowed on premise anymore. You can’t control what your kids do when they’er adults – he doesn’t have anything to do with his parents business

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