Teh One Who Knocks
04-29-2016, 11:54 AM
Vanessa Brown - news.com.au
http://i.imgur.com/7m51wXv.jpg
WORD of warning — don’t piss off a hungry vegan, because they will come at you with their pitchforks.
The owners of one of Los Angeles’ most popular vegan restaurants, Cafe Gratitude, have come under attack, and reportedly been sent death threats after the couple made the decision to start eating meat again.
Spending more than 40 years as vegetarians, and the past 12 as vegans — Terces Engelhart and husband Matthew have enraged the customers that used to love them over their dietary decision, which includes slaughtering their own livestock at their Be Love Farm in Northern California.
The pair announced in a blog post last year that they were reintroducing meat back into their diet. While vegan customers basically ignored the post, and continued to dine at the famous eatery, outrage emerged after race-car driver, environmental activist, and noted vegan Leilani Munter broke the year-old news to Twitter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dear Cafe Gratitude, Gracias Madre, Sage - we hear BeLoveFarm is killing animals. We're upset, to put it mildly. Signed, your vegan fan base</p>— Leilani Münter (@LeilaniMunter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeilaniMunter/status/723224182746546176">April 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ms Munter’s post created a social stir, with customers taking to the cafe’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter account to vent their “disappointment” in the meat-eating duo, labelling the pair as “scum”.
“So, now it’s not about animal welfare? You guys are such terrible scum,” one Instagram user posted on an image of the cafe’s farm.
“I am so disappointed that the farm and your restaurants chose to bury this new development into the farm blog over a year ago, instead of being upfront and honest with your vegan customers and giving them a chance to choose whether or not to continue eating the food from Be Love Farm,” another added.
“I feel that my trust was violated. I will sadly not be eating at the restaurants anymore.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So disappointed in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CafeGratitude?src=hash">#CafeGratitude</a> murdering cows --I will never visit them again. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/meatismurder?src=hash">#meatismurder</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/liars?src=hash">#liars</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hypocrites?src=hash">#hypocrites</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Greed?src=hash">#Greed</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarthDay?src=hash">#EarthDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vegan?src=hash">#vegan</a></p>— CHEF S. A. Hunter (@ChefGreenV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChefGreenV/status/723652154444017664">April 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cafe Gratitude took to Facebook to try and stabilise the vegan vortex, saying that despite recent revelations, “Café Gratitude and Gracias Madre have always served and will continue to serve 100 per cent organic, plant-based cuisine prepared with ingredients sourced responsibly from vendors and farmers who share our commitment to preserving the integrity of the environment”.
The page admitted that although the owners don’t personally follow a vegan diet, they assured their once dedicated customers that the pair “are not selling their animals for consumption or profit”.
The cafe’s response to the social storm was simply met with more disgruntled feedback.
“That’s disgusting that the founders are not following what they are preaching ... You are killing animals you are idiots,” one Facebook user wrote.
“Sorry — not supporting you anymore and feel pretty betrayed right now. I can’t imagine going backwards from compassion into killing sentient creatures,” another added.
While the farm does occasionally supply seasonal fruits and veggies to the restaurants, it’s considered a separate entity, and people who live and work there are free to eat whatever they like. Cafe Gratitude and Gracias Madre have continued to be entirely organic and plant-based.
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Mr Engelhart defended his decision to start eating meat, saying “people have taken up the mob mentality”.
“I am allowed to change my mind ... I never even told them [customers] what my mind was. All I told them was it’s a vegan restaurant. And it still is! And it always will be,” he said.
“It saddens me that the choices we made in the privacy of our home would lead people to feel so betrayed that it’s elevated to threats on our lives. I’m very discouraged.”
A Facebook page has been set up where people are able to voice their opinions on the establishment, and join in the ban.
It is understood a protest is planned outside the eatery for Friday.
http://i.imgur.com/7m51wXv.jpg
WORD of warning — don’t piss off a hungry vegan, because they will come at you with their pitchforks.
The owners of one of Los Angeles’ most popular vegan restaurants, Cafe Gratitude, have come under attack, and reportedly been sent death threats after the couple made the decision to start eating meat again.
Spending more than 40 years as vegetarians, and the past 12 as vegans — Terces Engelhart and husband Matthew have enraged the customers that used to love them over their dietary decision, which includes slaughtering their own livestock at their Be Love Farm in Northern California.
The pair announced in a blog post last year that they were reintroducing meat back into their diet. While vegan customers basically ignored the post, and continued to dine at the famous eatery, outrage emerged after race-car driver, environmental activist, and noted vegan Leilani Munter broke the year-old news to Twitter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dear Cafe Gratitude, Gracias Madre, Sage - we hear BeLoveFarm is killing animals. We're upset, to put it mildly. Signed, your vegan fan base</p>— Leilani Münter (@LeilaniMunter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeilaniMunter/status/723224182746546176">April 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ms Munter’s post created a social stir, with customers taking to the cafe’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter account to vent their “disappointment” in the meat-eating duo, labelling the pair as “scum”.
“So, now it’s not about animal welfare? You guys are such terrible scum,” one Instagram user posted on an image of the cafe’s farm.
“I am so disappointed that the farm and your restaurants chose to bury this new development into the farm blog over a year ago, instead of being upfront and honest with your vegan customers and giving them a chance to choose whether or not to continue eating the food from Be Love Farm,” another added.
“I feel that my trust was violated. I will sadly not be eating at the restaurants anymore.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So disappointed in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CafeGratitude?src=hash">#CafeGratitude</a> murdering cows --I will never visit them again. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/meatismurder?src=hash">#meatismurder</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/liars?src=hash">#liars</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hypocrites?src=hash">#hypocrites</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Greed?src=hash">#Greed</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarthDay?src=hash">#EarthDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vegan?src=hash">#vegan</a></p>— CHEF S. A. Hunter (@ChefGreenV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChefGreenV/status/723652154444017664">April 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cafe Gratitude took to Facebook to try and stabilise the vegan vortex, saying that despite recent revelations, “Café Gratitude and Gracias Madre have always served and will continue to serve 100 per cent organic, plant-based cuisine prepared with ingredients sourced responsibly from vendors and farmers who share our commitment to preserving the integrity of the environment”.
The page admitted that although the owners don’t personally follow a vegan diet, they assured their once dedicated customers that the pair “are not selling their animals for consumption or profit”.
The cafe’s response to the social storm was simply met with more disgruntled feedback.
“That’s disgusting that the founders are not following what they are preaching ... You are killing animals you are idiots,” one Facebook user wrote.
“Sorry — not supporting you anymore and feel pretty betrayed right now. I can’t imagine going backwards from compassion into killing sentient creatures,” another added.
While the farm does occasionally supply seasonal fruits and veggies to the restaurants, it’s considered a separate entity, and people who live and work there are free to eat whatever they like. Cafe Gratitude and Gracias Madre have continued to be entirely organic and plant-based.
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Mr Engelhart defended his decision to start eating meat, saying “people have taken up the mob mentality”.
“I am allowed to change my mind ... I never even told them [customers] what my mind was. All I told them was it’s a vegan restaurant. And it still is! And it always will be,” he said.
“It saddens me that the choices we made in the privacy of our home would lead people to feel so betrayed that it’s elevated to threats on our lives. I’m very discouraged.”
A Facebook page has been set up where people are able to voice their opinions on the establishment, and join in the ban.
It is understood a protest is planned outside the eatery for Friday.