Lloyd addresses controversy surrounding lunch visit last week to the federal detention center in Batavia.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — "We make lunch and dinner, not policy." Lloyd co-founder Pete Cimino Monday addressed the firestorm that erupted following the company's statement last week apologizing for a lunch time stop at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia.

In a statement posted Thursday on social media, Lloyd said they made an "honest mistake" by serving lunch there Wednesday. That statement brought an immediate backlash against the popular eatery that Cimino admitted they were not prepared for. He called the last five days exceptionally challenging.

"We take responsibility for what happened last week, but emphasize we do not take sides," Cimino said in a prepared statement during a news conference at the Lloyd location on Hertel Avenue.

“We make tacos, not war,” he said. “We serve all communities. We go to all neighborhoods. We are not political. Why would we be? How can any business choose sides in our politically divided country and ever succeed?”