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ST. LOUIS, MO — Waiting for ice cream, candy or just a sandwich at Crown Candy Kitchen is a St. Louis tradition. But, the owner says the people aren't flocking to the location like they did in the past and recently cut back their hours. A Facebook post asking patrons to come back has been shared over 13,000 times.

The River Front Times reports that a satirical Facebook page post prompted the plea. They say the "Unofficial:The City of Edwardsville" sent this bogus message to their fans:

"Good news citizens! Have you ever wanted to visit Crown Candy Kitchen in North St. Louis but were afraid of dying? Well fear no longer. The City of Edwardsville has obtained a license from the owners of Crown Candy Kitchen to build a complete replica of the kitchen in downtown Edwardsville! Enjoy the authentic soda-fountain fare less the bullets and the muggings! Coming in 2018."

The post was later deleted. The page describes themselves as, "a parody page for the City of Edwardsville. This page is by NOT THE OFFICIAL PAGE for the city of Edwardsville. I repeat, NOT THE OFFICIAL PAGE!!"

That description didn't stop thousands of people from sharing the post. Crown Candy Kitchen owner Andy Karandzieff tells the RFT that he saw it. He says that the jokes about crime in the area make his blood boil, especially when people start to believe them. There is a perception that the Old North neighborhood is dangerous. He says that just isn't true. You can read his full explantation here.

Karandzieff posted this message to Crown Candy fans on Facebook Saturday:

"So, most of you know we have been on this corner or over 104 years – yep that’s right,104! We have been serving our neighborhood, the surrounding metro area and quite frankly people from all over the world for all those years. We pride ourselves on hiring a staff that is very diverse and welcome everyone that walks through our doors.

But right now, our small business needs your support. We have been missing those crowds lately and want everyone to know that it's small businesses that keep neighborhoods like ours strong. When people gather at our doors, they meet people they never expected to. And in almost every case, find that we all have stuff in common. No matter who we are.

We are not here to push a political agenda, but rather to bring people together for the common good – the love of bacon, ice cream and chocolate. It doesn’t get much better than that. And if we can bridge a few gaps along the way, then we have done our small part to help make the world a better place.

We love our little corner of Old North St. Louis and want you to come down and see us! It’s going be a great weekend, so get out and enjoy some Crown Candy Kitchen!"





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