A Massachusetts ice cream shop owner went viral after firing off an all-caps Facebook rant defending his teenage staff from abusive customers.
Dave, who runs Coldstuff Ice Cream on Main Street in Blackstone, Massachusetts, posted the message this week that has since racked up more than 200,000 views and over 20,000 comments. The owner, identified only as Dave in coverage, aimed his frustration at adults he said were yelling at young workers over simple order mistakes.
“I swear to God. STOP YELLING AT MY F—ING EMPLOYEES,” he wrote on Facebook.
“They are children. This job, for most of them, is their first. They are going to make mistakes. They aren’t in charge of anything. This can all be fixed with a smile and a polite attitude. It’s ice cream, for crying out loud. Grow up and act your age.”
Dave made clear he had no patience for repeat offenders, adding in the same post: “And NOBODY gives a s–t if you don’t come back. We’d prefer it that way.”
The blunt message triggered an avalanche of responses, including pushback from some older commenters who took issue with the generational framing. One fired back in all caps: “NOBODY CARES! TRAIN THEM PROPERLY OR DON’T HIRE THEM AT ALL! INSTEAD, (FOOD FOR THOUGHT), DO THEIR JOB YOURSELF INSTEAD OF CRYING BECAUSE CUSTOMERS HAVE COMPLAINTS! YOU MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING! ABOUT YOURSELF AND CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!”
Dave returned to the comment section to clarify his target audience. “This post wasn’t intended to bash boomers…the vast majority of the elderly folks we encounter are fabulous,” he wrote in a follow-up comment. He added that he meant no ill intent toward boomers as a whole, only the select few that put the degenerate in their generation.
“You know who you are, and you know who we are. But seriously, let’s check ourselves around working kids. It’s one group who feels border line aggressive when something is wrong. It’s a mistake, not an insult. There’s no need. It’s ice cream.”
The post also drew overwhelming support from commenters across the country. “It’s rare to see an employer actually care about their employees, and you deserve all the blessings coming your way,” one wrote.
Others turned the moment into concrete travel plans. “Looks like a trip to Massachusetts for some ice cream is in order,” one chimed. “I’m from TN and have no idea how this even ended up on my feed. But I know who’s getting my business if I’m ever in Massachusetts someday,” said another.
One commenter even designed a Coldstuff T-shirt featuring Dave’s now-famous dismissal on the back: “And NOBODY gives a s–t if you don’t come back. We’d prefer it that way.”
Not everyone applauded the approach. “I agree that your staff should be treated with respect but holy hell is this a bad look for a business owner..There is an absolutely better way to get your point across while still looking like a professional, and you missed the mark by a mile,” one critic commented.
For others, the post struck a deeper chord about workplace treatment. “I wish I had a boss who had my back when I was a screw-up of a teenager at my first job. I wish they would have given me the respect I so badly wanted. I (maybe) wouldn’t be the angry, short-tempered a–hole I am today,” one person shared.
Another added: “Thank you for standing up for your employees. Seeing that post healed a part of me. I can only hope that my children get a boss like this when they get their first jobs. One with a backbone that calls out shi–y adult behavior for exactly what it is.”
Dave’s seasonal operation shows no signs of slowing despite the viral attention. Coldstuff shared on Facebook hours before the rant took off that the shop would keep serving through the colder months with tent walls to block the fall winds.
“We’re going until the calendar ends, folks,” the shop posted.