A popular Cincinnati barbecue restaurant appears to be doomed as it faces a fierce backlash after one of its co-founders mocked the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Aaron Sharpe, co-owner of Lucius Q, attacked those mourning Kirk’s murder and smeared the slain father-of-two as a “piece of s—” in a Facebook post.
Sharpe posted his remarks shortly after Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Responding to someone offering prayers for Kirk’s family, Sharpe sneered:
“Good riddance. What a piece of s—.”
The comments, now deleted but widely circulated in screenshots, sparked outrage online and within the Cincinnati community.
Doubling Down
Rather than walking back his remarks, Sharpe doubled down later that evening on Facebook.
“Don’t you dare come at me with your hypocrisy,” he raged as the backlash intensified.
“If you think that threats of social media attacks on me or my business will in any way keep me silent about what I believe, you are sorely mistaken.”
Sharpe, who has repeatedly attacked President Donald Trump online, appeared to deactivate his Facebook account by Friday morning.
Partners, Suppliers, And Venues Cut Ties
By Thursday, several of Lucius Q’s business partners announced they were cutting ties with the restaurant.
Lucius Q itself released a statement saying it had parted ways with Sharpe.
FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, which previously partnered with Lucius Q, announced it had terminated its relationship.
“FC Cincinnati and TQL Stadium expect our vendors and partners to uphold the values of respect and tolerance that are core to our club’s identity,” the venue said.
Lucius Q’s longtime meat supplier, Avril Bleh Meat Market, also severed ties.
“We never condone violence of any sort,” the family-owned business said in a statement.
“For this reason, we have decided to sever our relationship with Lucius Q BBQ.”
Steve Bleh, whose family runs the butcher shop, added:
“The family has decided we do not want to be involved with Lucius Q.
“No amount of money will ever be worth it.”
Restaurant Moves To Distance Itself
Following the backlash, Lucius Q confirmed Sharpe was “no longer associated with the business.”
“We found the comments he made on his personal social media pages offensive and, as a result, have severed ties with him,” the restaurant posted on Facebook.
In a later update, the restaurant said it had successfully removed Sharpe from the partnership, describing him as a minority owner.
“While it is a difficult process to remove a minority owner from a partnership, the point is this person is no longer involved with Lucius Q in any way, shape or form,” the owners added in a statement.
The owners also issued a direct apology:
“As husbands, fathers, wives, and mothers ourselves, we’d like to personally apologize to the family of Charlie Kirk.
“We take our commitment to the city of Cincinnati seriously and look forward to earning back its business.”
Community Fallout
Despite the restaurant’s moves, backlash has continued to mount.
Thousands have flooded Lucius Q’s social media pages and left one-star reviews on Google.
Critics questioned whether the removal was genuine, with one person commenting:
“You can’t get rid of a partial owner that fast.”
Others dismissed the statement as “too little, too late.”
Lucius Q, which opened in 2018 and was once featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” has seen its reputation implode in just days.
Sharpe’s now-deleted online profiles noted previous work as a radio station manager, disc jockey, and Reds announcer.
His social media activity had long been openly hostile toward conservatives.
Now, his comments celebrating the murder of a conservative leader have cost him his business, his reputation, and potentially the survival of the restaurant he helped launch.
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