Emma's Pizza Cheeses Off Twitterverse with "Dumbass" Tweet
By: Marissa Brassfield
Published: August 15, 2011

Emma's Pizza in Cambridge, Mass. is the latest business to feel the crunch of a social media misstep. On Aug. 13, the owner of the business posted the following tweet that rants about a customer:


where in 'substitutions are welcome' does it read it's free? Adding meatballs to a Pressed Veggie Sdwch is nasty and will cost u, dumbass.Sun Aug 14 01:16:10  via HootSuiteEmma's Pizza
			emmaspizza


 
When another Twitter user noted to Emma's Pizza that the tweet was in poor taste, the pizza shop owner warned her to mind her own business:


@Thoughtfuleats She made a scene in my store when she was told how much something that is not on the menu cost. Called like seen + MYOB.Sun Aug 14 22:42:07  via Twitter for iPhoneEmma's Pizza
			emmaspizza


Yesterday, Emma's Pizza tweeted that it was "being Twitter bullied." A retraction swiftly followed regarding the bullying reference, and this morning, owner Jeff W. identified himself and posted the following apology in a series of tweets:
dear everyone, sorry to have made such a SM mess of ourselves. i accept full responsibility for choosing my words so poorly and for not remembering that the people i'm reaching are the ones who i might rub the wrong way. i was just looking for a laugh to wipe away a less than memorable moment at the store. the last thing i would want to do is to put a bad taste in anyone's mouth, it's the opposite of what i try my hardest to do for a living. i apologize to the crew for casting a gloomy shadow over what they do for a living. too this has been a humbling experience, and i pledge to use this forum more responsibly and with you all in mind. truly yours, jeff w, owner
Chefs and business owners are increasingly using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to vent, despite also using these channels to communicate with potential customers, the press and the public. Is it right for a business owner to vent on Twitter if he or she does not publicly name the target? Do you think the Emma's Pizza owner rectified the social media misstep appropriately?