The Perth restaurant owner who banned vegans in a move that attracted international media attention said he was “close to tears” on Wednesday night after he received “overwhelming support” from the public.
Fyre restaurant in Connolly, owned by UK celebrity chef John Mountain, announced the ban via social media on Sunday after Mountain said negative reviews from vegans were putting his business at risk.
Since the ban, Mountain said support for the restaurant had more than cancelled out the negativity.
“The bookings have gone ridiculous; they have gone through the roof,” he said.
“The support from people is overwhelming, I’ve had one of the best chefs in the country walk in my back door earlier this afternoon, give me a hug and tell me he loves me.
“I guarantee you, 99 per cent of chefs across the world f…ing hate vegans.
“Because they’re a pain in the ass, you can never please them. We’ve always hated vegans, all chefs have.”
He said the irony of the vegan-led campaign against him was that it had delivered him priceless publicity.
“Sadly for the vegans, this has been the best marketing that’s ever happened to me, thank you so much I love the vegans,” he said.
Mountain said initial backlash — a barrage of one-star reviews on his restaurant’s Google page — initially had him “fearful” for his business.
“I thought this can’t be it, I know people don’t like bullies. Bullies in life, I despise them,” he said.
“All the vegans turned out bullying me, trolling me, giving me one star when they had not even been into my restaurant. That is unfair.”
Mountain cited one example of vegan activist Robyn Lawley, from New York, warning the restaurant owner that if he continued that mentality, she would assemble “any vegan in Perth” to “comment on his restaurant’s page.”
Another respected Perth chef has warned that vegan customers have the “potential to destroy a business” after suffering her own “devastating” online backlash in the past.
Elizabeth Peasley, head chef and owner of popular Two Dogs Laughing Cafe in Beaconsfield, said that while vegans were an important, growing customer base they “can be a passionate group with the potential to destroy a business”.
“When they get their friends to jump in and post negative reviews online and that hurts when you work 100-hour weeks as a chef and put your heart and soul into what you do,” she said.
Connolly local David — who did not give his surname — was among those who went to Fyre last night in a show of solidarity.
“We heard about the bad press so we decided to come down in support,” he said.
Another couple, who also did not wish to be named, said the backlash and one-star reviews left on Google without having visited the restaurant were “atrocious”.
They said they would be ordering steak.
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