A bull is the latest casualty of an ongoing feud between Baristas restaurant and locals of Hurricane, Utah. The previously well-endowed animal situated atop the restaurant offended some residents, according to local news outlet St George News. The restaurant is apparently located across the street from a school.
Some people found the oversized genitalia distasteful, while others had more nuanced criticism. St George News quoted one resident’s complaint as follows: “The giant bull is awesome. The giant, weird testicles and penis are not even anatomically correct … that is my issue.” Barista owner Stephen Ward apparently agreed with the latter assessment. “It didn’t even look (right), it was in the shape of a cone—but I don’t know what a weenie on a bull is supposed to look like,” he told The Spectrum newspaper.
Allow us. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The offending wang was given the chop, but Ward is adamant that he had it removed because he wanted to and not as a result of community pressure. According to ABC News, Ward put in a call to the city to let them know “I am not removing the penis for you or because of your complaints. I don’t like you. I’m doing it for me.”
“I just decided it would look better without the weenie. And oh my God! It’s beautiful.”
While the bull may have been cut down to size, this is unlikely to mollify community members who have taken issue with Ward and his business practices. More than 600 residents have signed a three-week-old Change.org petition to refuse Barista’s a license renewal, alleging that he takes advantage of customers, is rude, and is giving the town a bad reputation.
Two weeks ago, tempers boiled over and resulted in a physical altercation between an employee and a patron. The patron was cited for misdemeanors by the police, but Ward says he should really have been arrested. According to The Spectrum, the unfair treatment has Ward considering legal action against the city.
As for the locals, Ward is following Taylor Swift’s lead and shaking it off. “They are haters,” he told the paper. “They can stay away from me and out of my restaurant. I don’t need them.”
[via Grub Street]