Miles Tamboli, the owner of Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza in Midtown Memphis, refused service to four uniformed members of the Tennessee National Guard. The decision has drawn backlash online, with some accusing him of being anti-military.
Tamboli has remained defiant despite the backlash. “None of it changes my position. If anything, it confirms why this matters,” he told WREG. He added that his restaurant was forced to shut down its phones after people circulated his personal contact information online and encouraged others to flood the business with calls and emails.
He also said the controversy has hurt business and raised concerns for his family’s safety.
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Who is Miles Tamboli?
According to his LinkedIn profile, Miles Tamboli is a Memphis-based entrepreneur and agricultural educator who describes himself as a “professional systems-thinker” committed to creating “a more just world.”
He has owned Tamboli Produce Co. since 2018 and has spent more than a decade leading community agriculture initiatives in Memphis.
Tamboli also serves as Director of Farm Operations at Girls Inc. of Memphis, where he oversees the Girls Inc. Youth Farm. The programme teaches young women farming, entrepreneurship and leadership through sustainable agriculture.
His profile says he also helped found The Simpson Street Farm in Portland, Oregon, an urban farming initiative focused on ecological sustainability and community partnerships.
Tamboli earned a Bachelor of Science in Global and Community Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He also studied International Development and Global Health through the School for International Training, where he completed research on gender equality and family health in Morocco.
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Why did Tamboli refuse service?
The incident occurred Saturday night when four uniformed members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, which includes Tennessee National Guard personnel, entered Tamboli’s restaurant.
In a lengthy public statement released Tuesday, Tamboli said the decision was not directed at the individual soldiers. He said it was directed at the military deployment as a whole.
“On Saturday night, we declined to serve four uniformed members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, and I stand behind that decision completely,” Tamboli wrote.
He argued that Memphis was already becoming safer before the task force arrived.
“Crime was at a 25-year low through the first eight months of 2025, according to the Memphis Police Department’s own data, later confirmed by an independent Tennessee Bureau of Investigation audit.”
Tamboli claimed the task force has relied heavily on routine traffic stops rather than targeting violent crime. He also referenced the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson by National Guard personnel during a foot chase earlier this month. Addressing criticism over refusing service, Tamboli contrasted the brief restaurant encounter with Johnson’s death.
“Four young men were declined service, shrugged, and went to eat somewhere else. They were fine. Meanwhile, a 20-year-old Memphian is dead… If people want to be outraged, that is where the outrage belongs,” Tamboli said.
WREG also reported that an employee claimed other customers applauded after the guardsmen were asked to leave.
Tamboli said, βBeing pro-safety means telling the truth about what actually protects a community, and it is not soldiers trained for combat doing the work of police officers.β
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