The fed-up owner of a Blackstone ice cream shop blasted rude customers in a heated Facebook post that went viral Sunday.
“I swear to God. STOP YELLING AT MY [expletive] EMPLOYEES,” Dave Forgit, co-owner of Coldstuff Ice cream, wrote. “They are children. This job, for most of them is their first. They are going to make mistakes. They aren’t in charge of anything. This can all be fixed with a smile and a polite attitude. It’s ice cream for crying out loud. Grow up and act your age.”
Forgit later doubled down on his message, adding, “And NOBODY gives a [expletive] if you don’t come back. We’d prefer it that way.”
The Sunday post took off quickly, racking up hundreds of thousands of likes and comments from people around the world.
“I didn’t expect it to go so big,” Forgit told Boston 25 News. “I went to bed, and I woke up yesterday morning to a whirlwind.”
The vast majority of commenters were supportive, many pledging to give Forgit their business.
Forgit and his brother, co-owner Kevin Miller, said in the 10 weeks the shop has been open, their teenage employees have been subjected to daily disrespect.
“The amount of verbal abuse that these young kids get in a day is shocking to me. It’s wild,” Miller said. “The transaction involves a few dollars for ice cream. The end of it is ice cream. Why are you upset about it? There’s nothing to be that upset about.”
The most recent incident involved a customer yelling at an employee for charging the incorrect price for a sundae, Forgit said.
“It’s supposed to be laid back,” Forgit said. “It’s ice cream. It’s supposed to be a happy place and a happy time. Settle down, take a breath, touch grass.”
On Tuesday – the first day the shop was open since its newfound fame – customers lined up to grab dessert and support the business.
“I knew after seeing the post I had to come in,” Mackenzie Cahill said. “I was like, ‘I can’t not stop by and show them support.’”
Sarah McKiel, who brought her daughters by, said the post was extra incentive to support a local favorite.
“I’m for supporting businesses that support their staff members,” McKiel said. “And we will continue to come here, because, who knows, my girls might want to work here one day. And I like a boss that will treat their employees right.”
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW