The political post that ended a partnership between Fuzzies Burgers and Peabody Heights Brewery may have been shared to a personal account, but the ensuing backlash has quickly turned into a public liability for two Baltimore businesses. On Tuesday, hours after Peabody Heights it would stop hosting the smashburger vendor following a pro-Donald Trump post by Fuzzies co-owner Josh Vecchiolla, Vecchiolla issued a statement saying his own views had been misconstrued as those of his business. “One of our owners’ personal views was shared and mistakenly interpreted as a political endorsement by Fuzzies Burgers, and for this reason it was quickly removed,” the statement said.
“We want to be clear, Fuzzies does not endorse any political ideology, but we respect everyone’s opinion — it makes all of us stronger.” But in an increasingly polarized nation, business and public relations experts say the line between personal opinion and public stance has blurred. On a national scale, comments from executives have resulted in consumer outcry — and sometimes boosted sales.
“It’s all public,” said Matt McDermott, the president of Humble and Wallop, a Hampden-based marketing firm. “If you’re going to put yourself out there as the owner of a business, you don’t have the luxury of separating your personal views from your business’s.” The controversy started late last week when Vecchiolla posted a photo of Trump to his personal Instagram account.
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