Following a widely discussed tantrum had by a local woman at Baskin Robbins this week, the shop’s owner is seeking to gauge the public’s interest in continuing a longstanding promotion.
Anna Valente of Baskin Robbins on Main Street
Though the popular “Buy-One-Get-One free” or “BOGO” Tuesdays at Baskin-Robbins fuel the busiest nights of the week at the Main Street ice cream and candy shop, they also tend to bring in non-regular customers, according to owner Anna Valente. This week, a woman appeared to become dissatisfied after her free 2-scoop sundae with two hot toppings melted, and returned to Baskins, cut the line, berated Valente’s workers then tossed the dessert on the floor behind the counter. The entire scene was caught on video and the woman returned the next morning to demand back the money for the paid dessert her husband had purchased (a banana split) in order to take advantage of the BOGO promotion.
The incident left Valente second-guessing whether to continue BOGO Tuesdays—a national promotion that she continued voluntarily five years ago because New Canaanites seemed to like it.
“I’m here to protect my workers,” she said. “They’re my kids and I protect them like I protect my own kids.”
One of the young workers subject to the woman’s yelling had to go to the back of the shop afterwards because she was upset, Valente said.
Next Tuesday, April 4, Valente said she will gauge the town’s interest in continuing BOGO Tuesday’s with a promotion whereby customers who use a special password—“ice cream scooper appreciation”—will get the regular Buy-One-Get-One free deal. Customers also will be invited to donate $1 extra which will go to an area nonprofit organization’s anger management group program.
To the criticism launched by some on social media that she’s only using the angry woman incident to move away from BOGO, Valente said: “If I was losing money I would have stopped it a long time ago.”
If next Tuesday’s promotion works, Valente said she will re-introduce BOGO Tuesdays as New Canaanites long have known them.
“I didn’t do this for attention,” she said. “I get enough attention at home. Honestly, I’ve been doing this for 24 years. I’m here. I’m established. I don’t need to go out and do media hoo-ha things. People know who I am. I’ve been involved in more things in this town. This is to get the word out that these are kids. Don’t be disrespectful to them. For some of them, this is their second or third job.”
Don’t let one crazy and imbalances person spoil it for the rest of town.
Thanks Valente for being so community supportive, we should all take care of our local business.
I had the honor of calling this woman, Valente, my best friend in High School and I can honestly say I watched her work every day after school and every weekend as hard if not harder than any other kid our age. She never complained or acted unkindly toward anyone. She treated people with respect, and earned their respect with her work ethic and positive attitude. The people of Nee Canaan are lucky to have her not only serving them, but helping to shape the lives of the young people she employs and touches when they enter her shop. Whoever the woman was that put on that shameful display of bad behavior would do well to fill out an application at BR and work for Anna. She’ll learn how good people treat others and maybe just maybe cultivate that way of being for herself. If I still lived in New Canaan I’d be there Tuesday just to say thanks. She deserves it.