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Brickwall Tavern and Dining Room back of house staff will walk out Thursday with the full support of the venue owners.

Held in solidarity with the national ‘A Day Without Immigrants’ movement, the walkout is part of Smith’s continued support of the social movements sparked following the 2016 presidential elections.

Smith is the group that owns the downtown eatery, as well as Porta and Pascal and Sabine.

“There is no why because it wasn’t a decision, just like you don’t decide to have your heartbeat,”  said Mark Hinchliffe a junior partner. “It’s a natural, authentic expression of who we are. Supporting our team members’ lives is at the very core of Smith. We are one family. And when part of our family is affected, we are all affected. We have each other’s back, and because of that, we are unstoppable.”

A Day Without Immigrants is a growing national movement aimed at highlighting the role immigrants play in the face of Donald Trump’s increasing crackdown on immigration laws.

The back of house employees will be paid as if they were working and the front of house staff will in turn become cooks for a day, a Smith spokesperson said. Additionally, for every burger sold at Brickwall on Thursday, $1 will be donated to the Rutgers Law Immigration Clinic.

Smith was among those who lent support of the Women’s March of Asbury Park on Jan. 21, with partner James Watt walking in the procession that numbered an estimated 6,000 participants.

Two weeks ago, Smith’s Jersey City Porta donated $1 for every pizza sold to the ACLU in conjunction with a rally held that same evening. They also held a ‘Pizza Saves’ event on Inauguration Day that touted a pay-what-you-want deal with a portion of proceeds donated to charity. The whole idea being that pizza is both comfort food and celebratory, and brings people together, organizers said.

“It is our future, both Smith’s and America’s,” Hinchliffe said. “Smith would not exist without immigrants. Brickwall would not exist without immigrants. American food would not exist without immigrants. America would not exist without immigrants. Everything is connected, everything is in relationship. Except for indigenous people, we are all immigrants to this great country. That is America’s strength. And that is Smith’s strength, too.”

Brickwall Tavern and Dining Room is located at 522 Cookman Avenue. Its hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. For more information, visit their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

[Photo courtesy of Brickwall]

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