ALABAMA FOR LIBERTY issued the following announcement on June 22.
PITTSBURG, Kan. — A local shaved ice stand is taking some heat after a photo of their menu which features a questionable flavor went viral.
Deja Bickham spoke with the owner who says he never thought being kind and accommodating a customer’s request would garner such sour feedback.
David Schaper, Owner of Tropical Sno, says, “I’m not even going to have the flavor anymore, I guess. It’s caused so much controversy.”
Tropical Sno in Pittsburg has been serving nearly 600 flavors of shaved ice for 28 years, but a viral post circulating on social media over one questionable flavor on the menu is bringing the heat.
David Schaper, Owner of Tropical Sno, adds, “I didn’t know anything about it until it suddenly bloomed up out of really almost nowhere.”
A number of people are upset about a flavor called “burning noose” which offers a combination of grape, watermelon, and cotton candy.
Michael Rodriguez, Piitsburg resident, says, “During these times, the name seems pretty discriminatory with the flavor being the burning noose.”
But Schaper says, it wasn’t his idea.
Schaper says, “A young African-American man, 10 or more years ago, came with his friend. They would come with friends, and he wanted to make this flavor.”
He took to Facebook to apologize and further explain the origin of the flavor.
Schaper adds, “He chose the flavors, and he chose the ingredients of it.”
After seeing the comments, the young man who created the flavor, Keenan Carter, came to Dave’s defense.
Keenan Carter, creator of “burning noose” flavor, says, “We saw the opportunity to make a flavor there. We thought it would be fun, so we went down there trying to think of what flavors we would put into it, and we came up with the ‘burning noose’.”
David Schaper, Owner of Tropical Sno, says, It got to be where, when he would come down, he would order his flavor.”
Carter adds, “Go up, oh hey Dave how’s it going, can I get a burning noose?”
Carter says he was young, but it was never his intention to offend anyone.
Keenan Carter, says, “I really truly, want to apologize, because I meant no harm, and I did not mean for any of this to happen.”
Schaper says, “I certainly meant nothing by it, and I treat all my customers the same. I’m 100-percent against any form of racism.”
The flavor has since been removed and replaced with a new one… “busy bee”
Schaper adds, “If somebody wants to rename it or something like that, then we can talk about doing that but other than that, we’re not going to have the flavor anymore.
Original source here.
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