By Natalie Brophy
News Business Reporter

A downtown Buffalo restaurant has removed a social media post featuring civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. after it caused some backlash on social media.

The Draft Room on Sunday posted to its Instagram page a black-and-white photo of King edited to be wearing a Buffalo Sabres jersey as a way to let customers know the restaurant would be open on the national holiday. 

Obsessed with this *obviously* deleted Labatt Draft Room post. I so badly want to meet the person who got paid to make and post this. pic.twitter.com/XiPiWFc85Z

— Evan (@EvanXDuckett) January 16, 2023

The caption accompanying the photo read, “Come in tomorrow while we celebrate MLK day and hopefully a Sabres win! Other restaurants in the area may not be open but we are, at 11am…see you there!” 

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Some Instagram users wrote that it was inappropriate for The Draft Room to use King to promote the restaurant. 

The Draft Room – at 79 Perry St., next door to KeyBank Center – is managed and operated by Select Pour Ventures, which took over operations of the restaurant and taproom from Pegula Sports and Entertainment after it closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Select Pour Ventures consultant and spokesperson Marc Honan said the post was taken down after The Draft Room team realized the post did not meet the establishment’s social media goals and users left “a couple of negative comments.” 

“The goals of our social media presence are simple,” Honan said. “It’s really just to promote The Draft Room, promote the atmosphere, whether it’s specials or open times or new menu items.

“Unfortunately, that was the goal of this post.”

The restaurant does not want to create a negative presence on social media, Honan said. 

“When we saw some commentary that was negative, it was obvious (the post) didn’t meet our goals,” he said. 

Honan said the company used the objections as an opportunity to meet with its employees and review the social media policy. 

“It’s unfortunate that we created a negative when our goal is really to create a positive,” Honan said.

Draft Room, Room 120 aim for fall reopening in Cobblestone District

Pegula Sports & Entertainment announced it has reached an agreement with a newly formed venture called Select Pour Ventures to manage the Draft Room, as well as a private club called Room 120, at 79 Perry St.

In 2017, Sabres and Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula bought and redeveloped the Cobblestone District building that’s home to The Draft Room.

It reopened in 2021 after PSE reached an agreement with the newly formed Select Pour Ventures to manage the restaurant, as well as a private club called Room 120.

A PSE spokesperson on Monday referred questions to Select Pour Ventures.

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday afternoon lost to the Florida Panthers, 4-1.

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