A Coromandel cafe and butchery have denied rumours they told Jacinda Ardern to leave their respective shops and that they wouldn't serve her.
The misinformation, which was posted to Twitter on Thursday morning, purports that the Prime Minister was "told to f**k off" from local shops in Tairua. The user shared a screenshot of a Facebook comment with the rumour and removed all identifying features of who said it, as well as when they commented.
"Apparently (from near the source) the Tairua Butcher told her to get out, that she wasn't welcome and had damaged so many small businesses," the Facebook comment says.
"Then she went down the road to Manaia Cafe and was told she wouldn't be served and patrons there booed her."
The tweet has largely spread around users who don't support the Government and many appeared to lap up the possibility that the rumour was true. One said "the pushback has begun" and another said it would "restore their faith in Kiwis" if it were true.
Both businesses have denied the rumour, with Tairua Butchery telling Newshub this "did not happen".
"She's been a customer before but not this year, as far as I'm aware," says general manager Brett Collins.
"We've been bombarded with phone calls since this rumour started."
Owner of Manaia Kitchen and Bar Andrea Johnson, whose business is also embroiled in the misinformation, quashed the rumours too.
"I am aware of various online comments regarding the Prime Minister's recent visit to Manaia Kitchen & Bar in Tairua. We are extremely proud of the hospitality offered to all patrons and treat everyone with respect and dignity," she wrote in a Facebook post.
"We were very happy to host the Prime Minister and her family and believed she enjoyed her visit with us. Any suggestions to the contrary are baseless and incorrect."
Newshub has contacted the Prime Minister for comment.
