A Nazi-themed restaurant in Indonesia, which has been in business for two years, has permanently closed its doors amidst controversy.
According to the Guardian, authorities in central Indonesia questioned restaurant owner, Henry Mulyana, on his reasons for opening a Nazi-themed cafe.
The restaurant has been in business since April 2011 and is in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, one of Indonesia's main tourist cities, according to the Guardian.
The restaurant's name "Soldtenkaffe" sports Nazi-themed memorabilia. The red walls of the cafe are filled with propaganda posters, swastikas and a portrait of Adolf Hitler.
The servers also take part of the theme by wearing uniforms similar to the officers of the Nazi paramilitary, Schutzstaffel. The menu also pokes fun by adding "Nazi goring," (a fired rice dish) to the list.
Deputy mayor of Bandung, Ayi Vivananda wrote a letter summoning the cafe owner to meet officials and discuss his motives for the cafe. Vivananda said he didn't want to incite violence or hatred.
"Those symbols are internationally recognized to represent violence and racism," Vivananda said.
City officials expressed concern about the café's motives and worried it would incite hate and racism in the town, according to the CBS News. Mulyana said he doesn't believe anything is of an offensive nature in his café.
"The way I see it, the Nazi didn't commit slaughter. War is crime, so there will always be acts of murder in a war," Mulyana said, according to the Guardian.
Mulyana said he knew the eatery was going to spark controversy but because he's not breaking any laws he decided to go for it. He denied being pro-Nazi or supporting Hitler.
"I'm just a businessman, not a politician," he said. "I have a right to design my restaurant with anything that attracts people to come."
The controversy has forced him to close the restaurant. Mulyana said he is considering his options, but will not reopen the Soldatenkaffe café.
