Detroit Popcorn Co. Faces Backlash Over Owner’s Alleged Social Media Posts About Police Brutality Protests #DetroitFood

Shutterstock/Janthiwa Sutthiboriban

Some individuals are calling for a boycott of the business

Some city residents are calling for a boycott of Detroit Popcorn Company over a staff member’s inflammatory comments online responding to the nationwide protests against police brutality in black communities.

Comments made by the account Even Sangria responding to a separate post by an unidentified account that was critical of demonstrators began circulating widely online over the weekend. While the original post and comments are currently unavailable, screenshots taken by Detroit resident Jake Harris appear to show Sangria reacting to destructive protests by commenting: “They wonder why they need knee’s on there necks (sic).”

It appears that Even Sangria is Evan Singer, owner of Detroit Popcorn Company. Cached Facebook posts show Sangria posting advertisements for open positions at Detroit Popcorn Company, and photos of the man on the account seem to match those of the owner accompanying recent media coverage.

Eater has reached out to Detroit Popcorn Company by several times before and during business hours by phone and email and has not received a response to requests for comment.

Even Sangria’s alleged comment alludes to George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man who was killed in police custody last week when an officer pressed a knee into his neck for more than 8 minutes. Floyd repeatedly stated that he was having trouble breathing. The former police officer at the center of the incident, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder. Three other ex-officers were also on the scene.

Sangria’s alleged comments have sparked anger among supporters of the protests who feel the cost of human lives — particularly black lives — outweighs economic and business interests. People turned to direct messaging the Detroit Popcorn Company’s account as well as Sangria’s Facebook Messenger to express their anger about his comments.

Screenshot attributed to Jake Harris/Provided by Jacob Sidock

Malgorzata Bitel [Courtesy image]

According to past media reports, Singer is a longtime employee of Detroit Popcorn Company who became the owner in 2019. Singer’s LinkedIn page identifies him as Vice President of Detroit Popcorn Company. Evan D. Singer is listed as the President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Director of Detroit Popcorn’s parent organization Farber Concessions, Inc. in documents filed with the state as recently as April 2020. However, screenshots of private messages between area resident Malgorzata Bitel and Detroit Popcorn Company appear to show management denying that “Even Sangria” is associated the business. “That’s incorrect, Even Sangria is a longtime customer of Detroit Popcorn,” the company writes.

Detroit Popcorn Company’s Facebook page has since been shut down.

In direct messages, shared in screenshots on social media by Jacob Sidock and other community members. Even Sangria responds to a commenter who calls his original comment “disgusting,” writing: “It’s truly sickening to me that everything turns to race so you can defend and support CRIMINALS that are stealing, burning, and destroying city’s! (sic)”

In response, an unknown commenter writes “You’ll be on the news crying and apologizing in no time. Bye felicia.” In response Sangria writes:

Don’t have anything to apologize for. I 100% do NOT agree with stealing, burning, and destroying a city. If you want to Turn that into race- that’s on you, but I do hope I get enough traction on this for the news. This is just another perfect example of how messed up our world is there are people like yourself that want to support these acts of violence and then try to turn it into a racial thing! Maybe you should watch the video, because there were more whites than blacks just like many other videos posted online. So -just so we are clear- I am the FURTHEst from a racist. But I do NOT support what’s happening in these cities. Not 1% period! They should be at the piece of shit cops house, not innocent t people business’s and cities (sic)

In response, the unknown commenter writes, “Dude you said they deserve a knee in the neck. How are you trying to twist your way out of that. (sic) What you said was racist and disgusting and you’ll pay for it.”

In response to that message, Sangria appears to reaffirm his original statement regarding protesters deserving a knee in the neck by writing, “They do!” Sangria’s Facebook page appears to have been disabled.

Detroit Popcorn Company was established in 1923. The company’s large bags of popcorn are popular with companies and organizations providing snacks at events. According to Oakland Press, Singer is a Lyon Township resident and former fireman who became a co-owner of the business in 2015.

Organizers took to the streets of Detroit, Ferndale, Ann Arbor, Flint, and Grand Rapids over the weekend to protest the killing of George Floyd and police violence against other black people including Breonna Taylor of Kentucky, who was killed during a raid of her apartment, and Sha’Teina Grady El, who was punched in the head by a sheriff’s deputy after she bit him during an arrest. Police in Detroit used tear gas and billy clubs on demonstrators congregating throughout the weekend and made dozens of arrests. Mayor Mike Duggan enacted a curfew on Sunday in response to the unrest.

Some are calling for a boycott of the business and asking Detroit Popcorn Company customers to support Motor City Popcorn, a black-owned business, instead. Motor City Popcorn on Monday shared a post urging people not to confuse it with the Detroit Popcorn Company. Motor City Popcorn is a client of Detroit Popcorn Company. Eater has reached out to Motor City Popcorn for comment on its relationship to Detroit Popcorn Company.

Several people have posted negative, one-star reviews on the company’s Google page in the last few hours.

• Co-Owner Buys Out Detroit Popcorn, Plans Growth [Oakland Press]

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