A restaurant in upstate New York has come under scrutiny for naming a sandwich after Robert Kraft, just days after the New England Patriots owner was arrested as part of a prostitution sting.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, a chain of restaurants based in Syracuse, named a pulled pork sandwich after Kraft and promoted it on its Twitter and Facebook page over the weekend.
"This week ONLY stop into the Syracuse Dinosaur to get a 'Robert Kraft' aka the Jerked and Pulled Chicken Sandwich," the caption below a picture of the sandwich read.
The name of the sandwich appeared to be a thinly-veiled barb at Kraft's arrest. On Friday, the Patriots owner was charged in connection with an alleged prostitution and human trafficking sting at a spa and massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida.
The restaurant's post quickly went viral but the establishment faced a backlash for seemingly making fun of Kraft's alleged crimes.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has since deleted the post and offered donate a percentage of the proceeds from the sale to Syracuse-based McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center.
However, the non-profit organization, which provides support and services to abused children, said on Twitter it could not accept the donation.
After deleting the post, the restaurant released an official apology.
"It was a joke that we didn't completely think through. We apologize to anyone who was offended from the human trafficking aspect," the statement read, according to The Post-Standard.
According to the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office, Kraft was chauffeured to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa on January 19, where he was caught on CCTV engaging in a sex act before handing over an unspecified amount of cash.
The 77-year-old visited the spa the following day, the same day as the Patriots played the Chiefs in Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game. He faces two separate counts of soliciting prostitution
Hundreds of men were charged as part of a huge crackdown operation on prostitution in massage parlors in the Orlando and Palm Beach areas and ten spas have been shut in the investigation.
"The larger picture, which we must all confront, is the cold reality that many prostitutes in cases like this are themselves victims, often lured to this country with promises of a better life, only to be forced to live and work in a sweat shop or a brothel performing sex acts for strangers," State attorney Dave Aronberg said on Monday, as per the Associated Press.
The Patriots owner has denied the allegations. "We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity," a spokesman for the 77-year-old was quoted as saying by CNN. "Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."
Under Florida law, the charge of soliciting prostitution is a first-degree misdemeanor. Convictions can entail up to 12 months in jail, a $5,000 civil penalty and a mandatory 100 hours of community service, during which the offenders learn about the impact of prostitution and its ties to human trafficking.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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