A Mississippi Restaurant Faces Backlash for Anti-LGBTQ Video
Published on March 27, 2025
A popular Mississippi eatery featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” is under fire after its owners posted a video offering a special deal exclusively to straight couples. Darwell’s Happiness Café in Long Beach sparked controversy when the owners, Darwell Yeager and Nettie Mechelle, made discriminatory comments on social media.
The video, which has since been deleted, showed Darwell Yeager stating, “If you come in and you’re a couple… husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, guy, girl couple, the real kind of couple.” His wife then interjected, “Because we don’t do the trans or the lesbian or gays, I’m sorry.”
The restaurant faced immediate backlash, with Trax Bar and Grill nearby expressing disgust at the discriminatory remarks. Other local establishments and individuals also condemned the discriminatory behavior.
Gulf Coast Equality, an LGBT non-profit, called for a boycott of Darwell’s, labeling the social media post as “disheartening.” The organization urged the community to take action against discrimination.

In response to the backlash, the owners issued an apology on Facebook, acknowledging that their words may have caused offense. However, their social media posts have since been made private, leaving the status of the apology unclear.
Darwell Yeager also expressed frustration at being “bullied by the left” and vowed that his restaurant would not fail. Despite the controversy, the café has been featured on Guy Fieri’s show multiple times.
Assholes.