Red Robin recently introduced a garden burger to its fast food repetoire.
But rather than using this as an opportunity to welcome an entirely new demographic through its doors — vegetarians — the chain managed to insult all potential vegetarian and vegan customers instead.
While touting Red Robin's selection of 24 different burgers, the spokeswoman then condescends, "we even have a garden burger ... in case your teenage daughter is going through a phase." Cue the dramatic eye roll for effect.
While some vegetarian consumers were first excited to add a new restaurant to their rotation, the impulse to go to Red Robin dissipated after they were compared to finicky little girls.
Other vegetarians responded angrily on Red Robin's Facebook, as well.
Red Robin hasn't been replying on Facebook, yet.
According to Gallup, about 5% of Americans call themselves vegetarians. Vegans and vegetarians expressed frustration that their lifestyle choice was being openly mocked as trivial and transient.
Of course, others think the 15-second ad, which is in steady rotation, is spot on.
But anti-vegans, who see it as more of an expletive than an innocuous word, aren't the new customers Red Robin was trying to win.
Watch the spot below:
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