Italian Restaurant Trolls BLM With 'Black Olives Matter' Billboard, Sees Spike in Sales

An Italian restaurant in New Mexico has come under fire for a punny billboard playing off the Black Lives Matter slogan amid nationwide outcry over the recent fatal shootings of black men by police officers.

Paisano's in Albuquerque posted "Black Olives Matter, Try Our Tapenade" on a marquee last week advertising one of its specials and reportedly posted a picture of the sign on social media.

"We put up what we thought was a cute play on words, which we do commonly here at the restaurant," Rick Camuglia, the owner, told NBC affiliate KOB. "We were trying to promote our pan-seared Ahi tuna with a black olive tapenade relish. And so we put 'black olives matter, try our tapenade.'"

People on the restaurant's Facebook page called it "offensive," "tacky and hideous" and "in very bad taste."

"What is happening in America saddens so many, even all the way in the southern hemisphere," one wrote. "I love a good joke, but there are things that you just don't joke about."

Another added: "As a woman of color I find your posting offensive and in very bad taste. You simply wish to rub salt in an ugly festering wound which evil minded people refuse to allow to heal. The civilized world No longer has any tolerance for your hateful public display of what passes to you as humor. Young men and women are dying have a shred of humanity."

No one at the restaurant could be reached for comment Tuesday morning, but Camuglia, the owner, told CBS affiliate KRQE that he never expected such a firestorm.

"We didn't think anybody would be offended by that," he said. "It was not our intent to offend anybody."

Many on social media, however, defended the owner's advertisement.

"It's ok to have a sense of humour," one wrote. "As a chef I understand that you weren't trying to be offense. In our industry humour is the only thing that takes the stress away from our job. It's unfortunate the only people who work in the trade will understand."

"I think it shows an interesting state of affairs of where our country is that people, first of all, can be offended by a statement about a vegetable," Camuglia told KOB. "Black olives matter, and it does matter in our tapenade."