Bobcat Bonnie's gets blowback for drink special aimed at women

The owner of Bobcat Bonnie's restaurants in metro Detroit posted a special on Friday on its Facebook page directed at women that took some good and bad flak.

"We know you may be in need of a drink, all Signature Cocktails are $5 for those who lost their reproductive rights today. We support and love you. Grab a friend and come hang with us," the post read.

Though what followed in many of the comments was back and forth about whether it was a good idea for the restaurant, with several metro Detroit locations and one in Toledo, Ohio, to offer the drink special.

While many of the comments were positive, several took aim directly at Bobcat Bonnie's saying that it was a bad idea, and they were profiting from Friday's Supreme Court decision.

Owner Matt Buskard defended the decision.

"The intent and the goal was to get women who right now feel — some feel frustrated, some feel angry, some feel depressed, all of that — a place to grab a friend or two, to come in and have a cheap cocktail on us," he said. And to talk, cry, laugh, whatever they need to do in a safe environment — that's Bobcat Bonnie's."

Buskard added that he was not profiting from offering the drinks at those prices. The drinks, he said, are normally priced at $9 to $10.

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To say it's a money grab, Buskard said, is twisting their intent.

"(The comments are) presenting it through a lens that is just inaccurate and shows you don't know anything about us or our concept," Buskard said. "And I am not going to apologize for a post made for and by women."

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

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