Update: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has apologized “to anyone who was offended from the human trafficking aspect.” Full statement has been added to original story below.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse is under fire for making a joke about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
“This week only stop into the Syracuse Dinosaur to get a ‘Robert Kraft’ aka the Jerked and Pulled Chicken Sandwich,” the restaurant’s official Facebook and Twitter pages wrote over the weekend.
The post appeared to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to Kraft being charged Friday in connection with an alleged prostitution and human trafficking sting at a spa and massage parlor in Florida. The 77-year-old billionaire football team owner allegedly visited the establishment on two occasions, soliciting sexual acts from prostitutes.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que faced criticism online for making light of the alleged crimes. The Syracuse restaurant responded by promising to donate a portion of the proceeds from sales of the “Robert Kraft” sandwich to the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center.
“Yikes,” one Twitter user responded.
“I hope the [person responsible] is getting fired,” a second tweet said.
“I’m chair of my high school reunion committee and our decision to go with Dinosaur as caterer may be affected by this disgusting and tasteless marketing gambit. Human trafficking is no joking matter,” another user wrote.
The post was removed from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s Facebook and Twitter pages on Monday after McMahon/Ryan publicly condemned the joke.
“Although we appreciate the support of Dinosaur BBQ and their patrons, we respectfully ask you to remove this social media post,” McMahon/Ryan said in a statement on Facebook. “This post does a disservice to our mission and support of the clients we serve. Human Trafficking should not be taken lightly. This post does not honor or support the victims of Mr. Kraft and at no time should victims be made to feel as if they are a pun to a joke. Donating to our cause and mission is something that we value but not at the expense of victims/survivors. Our hope is to educate our community about the severity and impact of Human Trafficking, for it exist in our own community.”
On Twitter, the advocacy center said it tried to reach out to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que earlier but never heard back.
“We can not accept donations that contradict our mission,” McMahon/Ryan added on Twitter.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que apologized in a statement Monday afternoon.
“It was a joke that we didn’t completely think through. We apologize to anyone who was offended from the human trafficking aspect," a rep said.
It’s unclear if the ‘Robert Kraft’ menu item was being offered at other Dinosaur Bar-B-Que locations besides Syracuse. The post went viral, getting shared nationally on social media and sites like Barstool Sports and The Inquisitr; some fans of Patriots rivals like the Buffalo Bills applauded the joke.
The McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center is a Syracuse-based non-profit organization dedicated to ending child abuse through intervention and education. The organization offers a safe, child-friendly process for abused children and their families, supported by a committed, professional team specializing in the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, also based in Syracuse, turned another news story into a joke earlier this month on social media. The restaurant named a drink “Thank You Next” for a Valentine’s Day special to mock “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson after he repeatedly criticized Central New York. “Thank U Next” is a song by Davidson’s ex-fiancee Ariana Grande.
Davidson made headlines when he told Howard Stern that Syracuse is “trash” in September, shortly after he wrapped filming indie movie “Big Time Adolescence” at the Liverpool, N.Y.-based American High. In early February, the actor-comedian told Variety that “The whole town of Syracuse blows” and accused local police of “hunting me down the entire time"; Davidson was pulled over by Manlius police in August and his passenger was charged with marijuana possession.