In the latest episode of Who Needs Public Relations Anyway?, a Mississippi restaurant has stirred the pot—then let it boil over—by offering a free food deal to heterosexual couples, while making it clear that their LGBTQIA+ customers need not apply. The fiery spectacle, which included a viral video from Darwell’s Happiness Café in Long Beach, has left the LGBTQ+ community up in arms, and the Yeager family (owners of the cafe) scrambling to defend themselves…again.
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It all started on March 25, when Darwell Yeager III and his wife Nettie decided to offer a one-hour deal that gave free food to couples. “Couple” in their eyes meant exactly what you’d expect: a man and a woman, and anyone who doesn’t fit that bill was promptly told to “go down the street.” No “trans or lesbians or gays” allowed, thank you very much. This bold stance was immediately met with outrage, and let’s just say the backlash didn’t stay quiet.
After all, it’s 2025, not 1955. Yet, Darwell (who appears to be allergic to the concept of public relations) swiftly justified the entire debacle. His defense? Well, he claimed that he doesn’t “mingle with sources he doesn’t want money from”—which, for those keeping track, seems to suggest that people in the LGBTQ+ community are somehow not worth his time or, apparently, his food.
When the couple’s words quickly took flight online, so did their apologies. On Thursday, Nettie took to Facebook with an attempt at damage control. She apologized for what she called “misunderstandings,” though notably, she didn’t back down from the sentiment expressed earlier. “I’m not perfect,” she wrote, “but I’m human too.” Fair enough. Aren’t we all? But the real takeaway here seems to be that while we might not always be perfect, we should probably think twice before making viral videos promoting a “straight couples only” discount in a world that’s still struggling with basic human rights.
But, just as the Yeagers got some backlash for backpedaling, they doubled down with what could only be described as classic conservative baiting. A Trump-themed discount appeared on their social media, which naturally didn’t stay up for long. By Friday, their apologies were deleted, the Facebook page gone, and in their place, a message that “everyone is welcome” but that straight couples deserved the special. Because…why not make it crystal clear that you’ll happily serve anyone, as long as you don’t get too “woke” about it.
This erratic display has had the LGBTQIA+ community voicing their displeasure—loudly. The Board of Gulf Coast Equality has called for a boycott of Darwell’s Happiness Café, encouraging locals to show their support for businesses that celebrate diversity rather than rebuff it. Nationally, the incident has added fuel to the ongoing fire of economic protests targeting companies that have scaled back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Nestlé, Target, and Walmart are just a few of the names recently caught in the crosshairs of a larger political protest against “wokeness”—and, clearly, Darwell’s Happiness Café is joining that list.
In a world where eating out should be about enjoying food and good company, it’s disappointing that people still have to pick their restaurants based on the owner’s values (or lack thereof). For now, the public is left to wonder if the Yeagers are simply out of touch with the times or actively choosing to engage in culture wars at the expense of their business. Either way, it’s clear that their attempt at an “inclusive” meal deal didn’t quite land the way they thought it would.
Here’s hoping that the next special at Darwell’s will be a little more inclusive, unless, of course, you’re a fan of unseasoned, self-inflicted PR disasters. Bon appétit, everyone.
Source: Clarion Ledger
the problem is the people that support utter garbage like guy f, who has no real talent in cooking or would ever be an actual allay, even to straight women, or minority chefs
Keep up the pressure and force them out of business. Make them out to be the real pariah that they are.
I’m sorry (but not) they made it very clear in their first statement what their true sentiments. No apologies or amount of back-pedaling should garner them any sympathy or business. Just because they are having an “oh shit” moment and are trying to play word games because they are now getting unwanted attention doesn’t change who they really are and they made that quite clear. If they do suddenly change their tune and offer meals to LGBTQ+ couples it’s not genuine and only to save their own asses. This needs to be a hard lesson learned for them even if it means they can’t pay the mortgage on their trailor.