Free Republic

A New Mexico restaurant generated controversy -- and profits -- this summer with a play on "Black Lives Matter." Now it's coasting on the uproar that began with its sign and has printed hats and T-shirts with the phrase, jumping straight into the seemingly never-ending national conversation on race. Rick Camuglia, owner of Paisano's, an Italian restaurant in Albuquerque, put the phrase "black olives matter" on his sign last month to help sell a new tuna dish with black olive tapenade. It worked like a charm, bringing in more business, with some people adding black olives to every dish they...

The owner of an Italian restaurant in New Mexico says he’s seen a surge in business after posting a billboard that featured a food-centric pun playing off the Black Lives Matter slogan. Rick Camuglia, owner of Paisano’s in Albuquerque, posted what he thought would be a well-received joke on the marquee sign in front of his restaurant last week. It read: "BLACK OLIVES MATTER — TRY OUR TAPENADE."

Paisano’s Italian restaurant was accused of making a joke in poor taste against the “Black Lives Matter” protest when it shared the “Black Olives Matter Try Our Tapenade” slogan out the front of its Alburquerque, New Mexico, premises. People have taken to social media to slam the slogan, with Claudia Sanchez writing: “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...