Washington D.C.-based chain &pizza made headlines for the wrong reasons in October. Now the chain is working to make amends with the people it offended, who are still encouraging a boycott of the chain.
The 50-store chain, which has been working to get back to its radical, progressive roots, last month announced an apparently ill-advised menu item that poked fun at former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry’s 1990 drug arrest. The marketing materials surrounding the dessert item—dubbed the Marion Berry Knots—were rife with references to cocaine.
&pizza announced Thursday it met with community activists earlier in the week for a face-to-face conversation. Based on that meeting, the chain detailed several steps it would be taking in the near future to try and earn back the trust of the local community. The brand had already removed the controversial menu item that sparked such backlash.
Related: Did &pizza’s LTO Take a Joke Too Far? At Least One Critic Says ‘Yes’
“Last week’s marketing campaign went against [&pizza’s] values, which we have worked very hard to build,” the pizza chain said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We take full accountability for our misstep and wholeheartedly apologize to Mrs. Cora Masters Barry and to those we let down.”
— &pizza (@andpizza) October 31, 2024
When she first learned of the Marion Berry Knots, Cora Masters Barry, widow to the late D.C. mayor, told DC News Now that the menu item and the promotion of it was “racist.”
“In this city, it is outrageously racist,” Barry said. “You can print that. It’s racist and disrespectful.”
Lawyers representing the estate of Marion Barry sent a letter to &pizza CEO Mike Burns threatening to sue the pizza chain for the misstep, WTOP reported.
&pizza initially doubled down on the Marion Berry Knots—using tongue-in-cheek language to note the small spelling difference between the menu item and the former mayor—but growing community pressure forced the chain to remove the menu item and apologize.
After apologizing, executives with &pizza met with activists representing the Knot in DC Coalition, formed to boycott &pizza and a part of the Don’t Mute D.C. organization. The coalition announced it will continue the boycott until the pizza chain follows through on its commitments to the city. Those commitments, announced by &pizza in the same Twitter post, include:
- Establishing partnerships with minority-owned businesses across D.C., with the provision of resources that are critical in helping such businesses grow
- Dollars and resources earmarked for creating an internship program for local high school and HBCU students to intern at &pizza
- Help develop programs that invest in underserved communities, such (as) mentorship programs and job training
- Diversity training with an ongoing commitment to cultural awareness programs
- Contributions to racial justice and systemic inequality organizations deeply rooted in the D.C. community
A sticking point for the Knot in DC Coalition, WTOP reported, is for &pizza to hire a leader from the D.C. community. Burns, who became CEO of &pizza about a year ago, grew up in Massachusetts and spent several years working for the parent company of Pizza Inn prior to joining &pizza.
“If they had somebody from our community there, this would have never happened,” Ronald Moten, one of the founders of the Knot in DC Coalition, told WTOP. “They would know that this was going to be something that would offend our community.”
The statement made by &pizza Thursday reiterated its commitment to groups like the Knot in DC Coalition—and acknowledged the work it will have to do to earn back the trust of the local community.
“This is about moving forward in a way that’s genuine and that delivers the most impact within the communities we serve,” the statement went on to read. “Our efforts will be guided by collaboration, and shoulder to shoulder, we will stand with the ‘Knot in DC Coalition’ and other organizations across the District to amplify our efforts in a powerful way.”
