Controversial Bagel Shop Sign Sparks Outrage and Rapid Removal—What Happened Next Will Surprise You
Who knew a bagel could stir up such a jaw-dropping controversy? Bo’s Bagels in Harlem found itself in a real pickle—or should I say, a real bagel—after a cardboard cut-out mascot decked out in sunglasses and gold grills sparked accusations of racial insensitivity. What started as a cheeky nod to local streetwear culture suddenly rolled into a storm of outrage, with some seeing it as a caricature that crossed a very sensitive line. It makes you wonder: when does creative expression tip over into offense, and can a piece of signage really carry so much weight? As the dust settles, the shop’s owner is grappling with backlash that’s way bigger than a morning coffee order, while the artist defends the mascot as a celebration of neighborhood pride. Intrigued to see how this bagel saga unfolds?
A New York bagel shop has removed its mascot after it became the focus of a racism storm.
Bo’s Bagels, in Harlem, had a large cardboard cut-out of a cartoon bagel outside its store.
The huge sign, which doubles as a chalkboard, shows the bagel wearing a pair of sunglasses and gold grills with Harlem World written across them and a gold ring that reads NYC.
However, the mascot has found itself at the centre of a racism row after photographer Carl Broady branded it a ‘disrespectful caricature of black people’ in a post shared on Instagram last week.
“The sign’s exaggerated features, bulging lips and teeth, and darkened skin tone recall the racist caricatures historically used to degrade Black people,” he wrote.
Broady’s comments were followed by a now-viral clip, in which TikTok user Anastazia X visited the shop and said the sign was a ‘blackface bagel’.
Bo’s Bagels has removed the sign following the backlash (Google Maps)
She said the mascot was ‘not funny’ and ‘problematic’, she also suggested that other artwork in the store was a ‘little askew’.
She said she had reached out to the bagel shop’s owner with her concerns but had been ‘left on read’.
The shop’s owner Andrew Martinez has since spoken out about the backlash telling the New York Post that he has had to remove the sign after receiving threats and harassment.
He said: “It got completely out of hand by a bunch of people who know nothing about us. And the rage was coming in from people who just wanted to call us racist.”
“They’ve reached out to my black employees and said, ‘You need to leave there because your owners hate you,’ and that’s just not true,” he added.
Martinez said that his company had a great reputation in the local area.
“This is actually almost weird to us because Harlemites love us. They know what we do. We donate to schools. We give food away to the homeless shelters,” he said.
Anastazia X has also expressed her shock at the response to her video.
“I’m sorry that employees and the owner have been harassed as a result of the video,” she said.
“That was not my intention and I don’t condone or support any behaviour of that kind.”
She said she had reached out to Martinez via email and had hoped that a ‘public conversation’ could take place.
Martinez told the Post that he offered to respond to Anastazia X’s email but claims he was ignored.
The sign was created by Harlem-based artist Tom Sanford, who has previously created works for the city including caricatures of the New York Knicks that were put on display in the City Hall during the basketball team’s winning streak this summer.
Speaking to the New York Post, Sanford defended his work, saying: “Personally, I do not see uptown streetwear culture in a negative light at all.
“To me, these items represent overwhelmingly positive cultural contributions that came from the streets of my neighbourhood and crossed over into the mainstream.”
LADbible has reached out to Bo’s Bagels for comment.
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