Megan Wyatt

mbwyatt@theadvertiser.com

The owners of Bread & Circus Provisions never expected the backlash they would receive from what they considered to be a funny, timely T-shirt to sell at their pizza restaurant.

The Donald Trump-inspired shirt had the phrase "Grab 'em by the" above a large slice of pizza with tiny hands reaching for it.

The T-shirt was meant to poke fun at a recorded conversation from 2005 in which the president-elect made vulgar comments about women, such as the one referenced on the shirt: "Grab them by the p****."

But the 2016 presidential race was a divisive one that left people on both sides wounded.

"We thought the joke was an obvious poke at how farcical 2016 was," Bread & Circus co-owner Abi Broussard Falgout wrote in an email to The Daily Advertiser.

"Speaking on behalf of our management team, not only were we deeply offended by Trump's statements earlier in the year but also flabbergasted that anyone would think those things were okay to say anywhere in any kind of company. Actually, I thought this would be one of the only political references that everyone could agree on how absurd the election was. I did my normal PR gut check and thought that if anyone would be mad, it would be some of the more feverish Trump supporters mad at any joke at his expense."

But instead of Trump supporters taking offense, people accused the restaurant and its management of making light of sexual assault.

The backlash was swift and surprising.

"Your T-shirts are not funny and therefore your food must be awful," Kathleen Padian wrote in a 1-star review of the restaurant on Dec. 22.

Padian's 1-star review was one of about 10 left in a two-day period after the T-shirt was introduced via the Bread & Circus Facebook page.

Jackie Kinabrew also took to the restaurant's Facebook page to share her feelings.

"Unable to support a local business who makes light of sexual assault," Kinabrew wrote in a 1-star review left on Dec. 22. "You say the T-shirt is a joke, but your intent did not equal the impact. It's just bad judgment. Acknowledge it was in poor taste and pull it. You claim to be feminists. I'd prefer you claim to be decent humans who won't give an ounce of attention to what that a****** said about grabbing women by their genitals. Your actions are normalizing his words and behaviors. Please don't contribute to rape culture. More pizza, less assault 'jokes'!"

The restaurant only sold a handful of T-shirts before pulling them and issuing a public apology via Facebook.

"It was a tough situation," Falgout said. "On one hand, I still think the shirt is funny, and I don't think there is anything wrong with people who think it's funny. However, I can now see how someone can take it a different way than intended, and we're deeply sorry if we made survivors of sexual assault uncomfortable."

What ultimately drove the Bread & Circus team to stop selling the T-shirts wasn't the negative reviews. It was "a very well-written message" from a customer who explained why the shirt made her uncomfortable.

"The T-shirt's intent was to bring people together over a silly joke," Falgout said. "It became very clear that it did the exact opposite of that."

Related: Falgout shares Acadiana's best-kept secret

More foodie news: 7 restaurants that closed in 2016 | 17 restaurants opening in 2017

Although a Facebook business rating might not matter much to anyone who has dined at a restaurant, it can easily determine whether or not a new customer walks in the door.

That's why several Bread & Circus fans did damage control by giving the restaurant 5-star reviews following the T-shirt incident.

Mark T. Whitney was one of the first of about two dozen people to give the restaurant a 5-star review on Facebook during final days of December.

"At B&C, you get a great meal and good service from a passionate staff of people," he wrote in his Dec. 23 review. "The menu is something different from your typical Lafayette fare and the food is made for you by a kitchen who loves to feed people. It may not be for everyone. Most great restaurants aren't. But, it's an excellent place to pass a good time.

"It's ridiculous to never visit a place or down the quality of their food or establishment because of the accessories they sell," he continued. "I don't go to a restaurant for a sermon or a culture: I go for a great meal that I can afford that is served by someone who actually cares about customer service. Bread & Circus provides that in droves."

Other 5-star reviews poked fun at the backlash.

"When I visit Lafayette, this is my safe space," wrote Jon A. Fitzgerald in his Dec. 23 review. "When I visit, I wear my 'Grab 'em by the slice' shirt. Usually, I see the sad, soft faces of hipster millennials wearing beanies in the middle of 70-degree weather look at me with angry faces, but because I am Hispanic and an aggrieved minority, they can't say anything."

Neither Falgout nor her employees asked for the reviews, but they were a pleasant surprise.

"I was completely blown away by the show of support," Falgout said. "I'd be lying if I said we don't take all negative reviews to heart. And when those bad reviews are solely meant to cause harm to your small, family-owned business, it hurts even more. So to see hundreds of your supporters — especially people that know you and your staff on a personal level — take their time to say something nice about what you're doing is absolutely amazing."

Restaurant sales have been steady or higher since the incident. Falgout doesn't know whether to attribute it to fans showing their support or just the usual holiday sales pattern.

And although the restaurant is known for breaking the mold, its owners also know when to stop and listen.

"We're no strangers to making people angry," Falgout said. "We're always doing things differently: asking why, pushing the envelope, pushing people out of their comfort zones. It's what we do... but when we get it wrong, we will take full responsibility. We aren't tone deaf, and no T-shirt is worth insulting people we care very deeply about."

17 restaurants opening in 2017

7 restaurants that closed in 2016

Bread & Circus owner shares Acadiana's best-kept secret