Owning their mistake

Shortly after the launch of Uncle Ray’s Food & Liquor in Hamilton, Open Concept Hospitality opened a location in Toronto.

Their branding had been using animal images — a bunny in Hamilton; a gorilla in Toronto. Inasmuch as southern cuisine has links to black history and African Americans, the ape imagery used in Toronto was judged by some as racist, triggering a social media backlash.

Ownership partner Adam Teolis acknowledges this was “a really big oversight on our part, but entirely unintentional. It’s not who we are as a company … It’s definitely been a learning experience.”

“We get it and we understand that its part of our backstory now … The most important thing we can do is just make sure that we continue to move forward and be better.”