J. Kenji López-Alt (pictured) said he would refuse to serve patrons wearing MAGA hats

A well-known chef and food writer has refused to serve diners wearing MAGA hats in his restaurant, describing them as a 'symbol of intolerance and hate.'

J. Kenji López-Alt is a partner at Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus in San Mateo, south of San Francisco, California.

In a tweet on Sunday which has since been deleted he wrote: 'It hasn’t happened yet, but if you come to my restaurant wearing a MAGA cap, you aren’t getting served, same as if you come in wearing a swastika, white hood, or any other symbol of intolerance and hate.'

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the tweet from Sunday had more than 2,000 likes by Wednesday afternoon.

He has also written a New York Times bestseller called 'The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.'

Other tweets replying to users remained on López-Alt's profile on Thursday. 'If you’re comfortable sitting next to a MAGA wearer I’m probably not interested in serving you either,' the chef said.

Lopez-Alt told Fox News that since putting up the tweet his business has received threatening emails, but he refused to change his mind.

In a follow-up post to his original tweet, Lopez-Alt doubled-down on his feelings about the MAGA hats.

'MAGA hats are like white hoods except stupider because you can see exactly who is wearing them,' he said in a separate tweet to his 42,400 Twitter followers.

In a tweet the popular chef compared the hats to 'a swastika, white hood' or other hate symbol

J. Kenji López-Alt is a chef at Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus in San Mateo, San Francisco

Since Donald Trump's presidential campaign, red 'MAGA' caps have become a divisive symbol in the United States.

People who wear them often say they do so to show patriotism and outward support for the president.

Others say the hats promote the hate and racism that they believe Trump fosters.

The hats sparked widespread debate earlier this month after an incident involving an indigenous marcher and a group of high school boys wearing MAGA caps in Washington D.C.

The hats, which are sold for $25 on Trump's campaign website, sparked widespread debate earlier this month after an incident involving an indigenous marcher and a group of high school boys wearing MAGA caps in Washington D.C.

After the incident, actress and acitviist Alyssa Milano tweeted 'The red MAGA hat is the new white hood' and later said she wouldn't apologize for the remark.

Last year, the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, made national headlines when management asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave.

Sanders said she was denied service because she worked for the Trump administration,

The restaurant’s owner said Sanders was asked to leave because she supported the president’s controversial policies.