RAYTOWN, Mo. (WDAF) – A sign at a Missouri doughnut shop is getting some pushback from customers.
The sign was plastered in the front window of Doughboys Donuts, in the Kansas-City suburb of Raytown, a few days ago.
“Stop importing COVID from Mexico unmask truth,” the sign originally read. It since has been changed to read, “Stop importing COVID through border unmask truth.”
“It’s a slap in the face,” customer Michael Hope said. “It’s disgusting and it hurts.”
Disappointed, outraged and disgusted describe how some people felt after reading the sign.
“Can’t believe that someone would blame an entire people or country for something that we’re not taking care of ourselves,” Hope added.
Doughboys customer Chris Meyers claims the sign is literally leaving a bad taste in his mouth, too.
“They have won an award for best doughnuts in [Kansas City], but they don’t taste good anymore when you know who’s making them,” Meyers said.
The owners of the shop claim they didn’t intend to offend anyone, but rather to raise awareness on the issue at the border.
“I don’t personally have a big problem with Mexicans,” said Marjain Breitenbach, with Doughboys Donuts. “I got a lot of them that are friends, so I don’t have a problem with that. I got a problem with the border.”
Breitenbach said he believes the border partly plays a role in the rise of COVID-19 cases.
“I mean we get all these rules,” Breitenbach said. “We’re supposed to wear masks and do all this stuff, and the border is just porous and they’re running in.”
Breitenbach said the wording of the sign was changed to avoid misleading people.
Meanwhile, patrons are saying the company has lost some of its loyal customers.
“It’s just hate and divisive, and it’s just misinformation and it’s attacking the wrong people,” Meyers said.
“To just have that up there, I mean, what do they think people would expect to think?” Hope said.