BROOKLYN — Representative Dan Goldman of New York's 10th congressional district visited Poetica Coffee in Brooklyn on Sunday. Following his visit, the coffee shop posted a message on Instagram criticizing Goldman, which has since been deleted. The business also refunded Goldman's coffee purchase.

Harmeet Dhillon, an Assistant Attorney General, announced on X that her office is investigating Poetica Coffee. "Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin. These actions are not only reprehensible, they're potentially illegal," Dhillon said. She added that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division "will bring an enforcement action if warranted."

Goldman described a positive interaction during his visit. "I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop," Goldman said. "She was wearing a hijab, I didn't know her, but she couldn't have been nicer and allowed my daughter to go use the bathroom, and I honestly was so grateful for her kindness that I felt like I should buy a coffee, and so I did, and I gave her a large tip." Goldman also commented on the broader implications of the incident. "It's a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs that without knowing me, we could have had such a nice interaction," he said. He expressed a preference for the Justice Department to focus its resources elsewhere, stating he would rather the department spent its "time and resources investigating antisemitism against people who do not have a platform that I do, who are not elected officials, who do not – in some ways – ask for this."

The deleted Instagram post from Poetica Coffee included several direct criticisms of Goldman. "We see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn't taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?" the post stated. It continued, "See, here at Poetica, we don't serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn't recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away." The post also referenced the refund, stating, "We issued you a refund – we don't need your money (it's probably coming from AIPAC anyways)." It concluded with, "Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don't ever come to Poetica."

Goldman is currently running against Brad Lander in a Democratic congressional primary. Goldman attended the Israel Day parade in New York City in May alongside Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Goldman said he was "proud" to have attended the parade and to "celebrate the nation and state of Israel." He described Israel as "distinct from its government." Poetica Coffee's website describes the business as a place "where the guest is sacred, the books are unbanned, and the door is open to everyone." It states: "Mehmon, the Uzbek concept of the sacred guest, means that whoever walks through the door is treated with unconditional dignity."