A Kentucky restaurant manager said customers posted hateful messages and reviews after he flew a Ukrainian flag in solidarity with the country

• A restaurant manager said he received hateful messages after showing his support for Ukraine.
• He flew a Ukrainian flag outside the Steakhouse he managed and received a negative response.

A Kentucky restaurant manager has recalled the hateful treatment he received from customers after he flew a Ukrainian flag in solidarity with the country, amid the war.

Ben Ashlock, who heads Colton's Steak House and Grill in Bardstown, Kentucky, told The Washington Post that he has a personal connection to Ukraine because he and his wife adopted their son from there three years ago. So when the war broke out, Ashlock said he wanted to show solidarity by flying a Ukrainian flag at the restaurant.

"You just let them know, even in little old Kentucky, we see you, and we're supporting you," he told The Post.

Ashlock didn't think any problems would arise from the gesture. But shortly after he flew the flag atop the building, Ashlock said he began to receive strong messages of hate from customers via the restaurant's phone, Facebook page, and Google reviews.

One customer said, "My family eats at Colton's steakhouse, but will not eat there again until the Ukrainian flag is replaced with our national Flag," via a direct message on the restaurant's Facebook page.

The Post also referenced reviews — some of which had been removed — shared by Ashlock via screenshots. One said: "Take that trash flag down! May Ukraine be leveled to the ground!"

Ashlock even said he received a 1-star review of Colton's on Google because of the flag. "Food tasted woke, management is a war monger," the review read.

Addressing the situation, Ashlock recently wrote on the restaurant's Facebook page: "I would love to tell you that we heard our last negative comment today or that we had our last employee reduced to tears over someone saying something mean to them about our situation. But that would be lying."

"I wish we treated each other better behind keyboards," he added.

Colton's Steak House & Grill did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours.

The hateful messages however have recently been balanced by a flood of supportive messages on Colton's Facebook page.

One person wrote: "Thank you for flying the Ukraine flag and showing support to our Ukrainian brothers and sisters … I can't believe anyone would send hate messages for that.. what the hell has happened to us?"

Many restaurant owners across the US have shown their support for Ukraine in the war of Russia's unprecedented invasion. Some, for instance, renamed Russian-linked cocktails on menus, including Moscow Mules to Kyiv Mules.