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‘Obama Fried Chicken’ Will Keep Its Name
wtf? this is in Brooklyn??? no way.... I'll try to visit there soon.
The man who caused a stir by calling his fast-food restaurant Obama Fried Chicken no longer plans to change the name, despite a growing outcry from protesters who say the name conjures up disturbing racial stereotypes.
On Monday, about 20 people, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, protested outside the restaurant, at Rutland Road and Rockaway Parkway in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
“He wasn’t a man of his word,” one of the protest organizers, Kevin McCall, said Tuesday, referring to the restaurant’s owner. “He didn’t keep his commitment of having this sign down. This is very offensive to African-Americans.”
The restaurant, previously called Royal Fried Chicken, took the Obama name in late March in a gesture of fondness for the president, said Mohammad Jabbar, the manager and spokesman for the restaurant.
Under pressure last week, Mr. Jabbar, who said he is not the owner, said the name would be changed to Popular Fried Chicken over the weekend. But on Monday, the sign was still there — a fact noted by the free newspaper amNY, under the print headline “What the Cluck?”
The White House disapproves of using the president’s name for commercial purposes, a spokesman said.
On Tuesday, Mr. Jabbar explained that the owner had changed his mind because the new sign, which he says cost about $5,000, has been embraced. He estimated that four out of every five customers have supported the name. “They’re telling us not to remove,” he said.
Mr. Jabbar added that he believed the controversy was over.
Another protest is planned for noon Saturday — news that caught Mr. Jabbar by surprise.
“We’re going to continue to keep the pressure on,” said Mr. McCall. “If he thinks we’re going away that’s not going to happen.”
wtf? this is in Brooklyn??? no way.... I'll try to visit there soon.