North Carolina Cupcake Shop Calls Customer Fat, Halfheartedly Apologizes

Though the political correctness wave of the 1990s has long since passed us by, there are certain things it’s still just not okay to say to a fellow human being, especially if you want them to give you money. Particularly, it’s a really bad idea to call a potential customer a “fat cunt.”

A cupcake shop in Raleigh, NC, learned that lesson the hard way yesterday.

The bakery, whose special-order-only cupcakes range from $4 for basic yellow cake and buttercream to $8 for some chocolate ganache, formerly boasted the tag line “So Good It Makes Fat People Cry.” When a customer named Diana contacted owners David Menestres and  Carrie Nickerson via email to say she found the slogan offensive, they lashed out in both her response and on her twitter account.

“We offend everybody equally. You are the one with hate in your heart not us. Since we are fortunate enough to live in America you can do whatever you want,” Nickerson emailed.

She also called Diana a “fat cunt” on her personal twitter page (which was, conveniently, later set to private) and later tweeted “There are way too many uptight people in this world.”

Naturally, many people figured out it was the Crumb co-owner behind these tweets and news spread rapidly across the blogosphere. A “Boycott Crumb” Facebook page was started and by the end of the day, Crumb removed the slogan from its website and posted an apology. (The group’s name has since been changed to ‘Fat Is Not a Character Flaw.’)

Regarding our slogan, let us begin by apologizing to you, Diana, and everyone else we have offended. This was never our intention. The tagline was meant as a joke and nothing more. We never meant to hurt anyone. The tagline is no longer in use and the tweets you found offensive have been removed.

Today, even before all of this happened, was a really bad day for both of us. The stress of opening a small business and dealing with all the details has been getting to us. None of this is fair to you, but it’s the truth and we owe you that.

Please forgive our insensitivity. We are truly sorry.

Sincerely,

Carrie and David

However, judging by the comments on the apology, many local customers aren’t buying it.

So what do you think? Was the initial slogan offensive? And is it okay to call a customer the c-word because you’re having a bad day? Further, is it ever okay to charge $8 for a cupcake? (Hint: The answer to #3 is NO.)

Valerie Marino is the editor of Triangle Music.