News

Phantom Gourmet CEO Dave Andelman resigns after series of negative comments toward George Floyd protests

The Phantom Gourmet is on hiatus while CrossFit gym owners are cutting ties with HQ.

Besides the hiatus, Phantom Gourment’s CEO Dave Andelman announced he is stepping down as head of the company he founded in 1993.

WBZ issued a statement saying they’re committed to the community after putting the popular Phantom Gourmet show in hiatus following a series of Facebook messages mocking the protests against racial violence after the murder of George Floyd.

In addition to leaving the company and no longer appearing on episodes of the Phantom Gourment TV show, Dave Andelman will not be involved in any day-to-day operations and will relinquish ownership of the company. He is also resigning from the Mendon Twin Drive-In, where he was the CEO and owner.

Dan Andelman, the TV show’s host will now take over as company CEO, issuing the following statement:

“I’m proud of the company my brother Dave helped build and for all our show has done on behalf of local restaurants and employees in the food service industry, especially during this challenging time. But, Dave’s recent social media statements made it clear that he cannot stay in a leadership role or any role with this company. We are passionate about food and restaurants, but we also vow to dedicate ourselves to advancing the causes of diversity, social justice, and equality. We plan to listen, learn, and act, while we also continue to entertain and inform our loyal food and fun loving fans.

Phantom Gourmet fans are the lifeblood of our company and we deeply apologize that so many have been hurt. This is NOT what Phantom Gourmet is about and we are very sorry. Our hard-working employees and loyal fans deserve better. So, we are taking swift and decisive action today and we want to make it clear that these types of divisive comments are not consistent with our core values.

At our core, Phantom Gourmet is about bringing people together to share good meals and great times. We look forward to using our platform for positive change.”

Also in hot water for his racially insensitive comments is Crossfit CEO Greg Glassman.

After apologizing for posting several offensive tweets referencing George Floyd’s death and the coronavirus pandemic, Glassman was allegedly heard on a leaked Zoom call with gym owners, telling them that the company was not going to mourn Floyd just because, “it’s the white thing to do.”

Glassman stepped down with an apology, but Crossfit owners like Marc Tucker of CrossFit Craic in Norwood chose to disaffiliate from the company and drop the brand name.

“It was a pretty easy decision for me," Tucker said. "And I didn’t want to wait on someone else telling me sorry, I heard enough of that before. All of that, the Drew Brees thing. Coming back and they were like, ‘oh we’re going to fire him,’ and nothing was really happening.”

>>>MORE: Petition calling for removal of statue in Boston’s Lincoln Square

But now consumers are asking are these statements enough?

Dr. Laura Roberts is a University of Virginia professor and the author of "Race, Work and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience."

“A statement is important," Dr. Roberts said. "It’s a commitment. It’s a promise. But over time, what people are looking for from your actions is how does that relay to your business; how does the way your organization functions align with the promise and commitment that you’re making in your statement?”

Experts like Dr. Roberts said consumers have more power at this moment than ever before.

“Consumers are like doing cultural audits right now of these organizations and they’re using social media to report their observations and their concerns about whether or not these statements really hold water," said Dr. Roberts, who also said if a company owner is ambivalent about making an anti-racism statement, they shouldn’t do it.

“My response is no. Don’t make a statement until you’re ready to stand by that statement.”