OfficerBlueNew York City, NY– A months-long NYPD union-led boycott of Dunkin’ Donuts has now been called off after the company’s latest apology.
The boycott was prompted by an employee who refused detectives service and said, “I don’t serve cops.”
New York Post reports that in July, two plainclothes detectives from 73rd Precinct’s detective squad were wearing suits with badges and pistols on their belts when they entered the Dunkin Donuts at 1993 Atlantic Ave.
When the detectives approached the counter, the clerk looked past them and asked the man behind them for their order. The man responded with his order and added, “These two guys were in front of me.”
“Yeah, I know, but I don’t serve cops,” the clerk replied.
The manager at the store denied the incident, telling The Post, “These two men in shirts and ties — who I later found out were police — must have never come to this Dunkin’ Donuts before, because instead of waiting in the line where you order, they waited at the counter where you pick up your order.”
“You can see on the security tape: they stand here for five minutes, while other customers were being served. One customer even ordered ice cream, and they must’ve not like that because they left the store,” he added.
The manager declined to let anybody else see the security footage and did not account for the “I don’t serve cops” comment.
The response prompted more outage by suggesting that the detectives were too dumb to know where to stand and fabricated the statement about not serving police.
Detectives’ Endowment Association President Michael Palladino initially said, “I assume it is an isolated incident. Nevertheless, Dunkin’ Donuts corporate should issue an apology to the NYPD and until that happens, I have asked detectives and their families to refrain from patronizing the stores.”
“Political leaders in this city have encouraged this type of behavior by constantly demonizing cops and pushing their decriminalization agenda,” he said.
“It’s time for the same politicians to step up, take some responsibility and condemn what occurred.”
Mayor Bill De Blasio actually did respond, calling the worker a “jerk.”
NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill also responded, saying, “We need to stop vilifying the police.”
A Dunkin’ Brands spokesperson told The Post, “The franchisee who owns and operates this restaurant informed us that immediately upon learning of this situation earlier this week, he contacted one of the police officers involved to personally apologize for any negative experience he may have had in his store,” she said.
The company did not issue an apology, as requested by Palladino, or even mentioned if the employee would be disciplined.
Ed Mullins, head of NYPD sergeants union, said at the time, “I encourage a boycott of all Dunkin Donut stores and products.”
After a month-long boycott, Dunkin’ Donuts exec Robert Wiggins took out a full-page ad in The Chief-Leader which acknowledged the mistake, saying it “did not meet our standards of service, nor did it fulfill our promise to treat every guest with the utmost respect,” and “Dunkin’ Donuts and its franchises deeply value the public service that police officers and detectives provide to the neighborhoods we serve, especially in the New York City area.”
Palladino responded by calling for the boycott to be lifted and noted “the longstanding support and commitment Dunkin’ Donuts has forged throughout the country with the law-enforcement community,” according to New York Post.
It’s not clear at this time how much a financial impact the boycott had on the company.