Chocolate Rage
This e-mail has been forwarded to me by several people over the last few hours:
I am writing to you because of an experience I had at [UPDATE: The name of this store has been removed]. I moved to Dallas in the past few years and a girlfriend of mine just told me about this store. I needed to buy chocolates for my pre-school daughters’ teacher for her birthday. So this past Friday I went to the store.
I was on a business call when I walked into the store. It was my first time at the store, so I thought I would shop around first, not pick anything up as I wanted to wait until I ended my call. As I proceeded to look around I was asked if I needed help and I told the sales lady no that I was just looking. I was checking out the prices of the things I wanted and continued towards the back of the store where the owner was standing behind the chocolate counter. He asked me if I needed help and I told him no, that I was just browsing. He then yelled at me (while I was still on my business call) “You are so disrespectful! You are on your cell phone in my store looking at prices! How dare you. I have never seen anything so rude in my life. I was in shock. He was yelling at me and lecturing me. I was the only customer in the store. I was not speaking loudly, nor was I doing anything wrong. I told him I had never been in his shop before and that I had gifts to buy, but was trying to finish my call. He continued to yell at me about how rude I was and how the women in this neighborhood are lucky to have a store like his and that we all think we can get away with our behavior. I told him I had just moved here from Los Angeles and have never been yelled at by a store owner. I asked him when does a store owner yell at their customer? He continued to badger me and yell at me about how rude and disrespectful I was, so I told him I would never shop in his store again and neither would any of my friends since this is the way he treats his customers. As I was leaving his store I told my friend on the call that I was in a store called [Name of store removed -- Ed.] and he corrected my annunciation of his store name. As I left the store I turned around to get the address off the door and he flipped me off. I was still holding my call the entire time this was happening. My friend on the line was asking me if I was okay and asked who was yelling at me. I was telling her and I turned around a second time to get the address and tell her where I was and he was coming after me. I jumped in my car and backed up (it is a one way parking lot) and this man banged my car with his fists and jumped in front of my car so I couldn’t leave. He continued yelling at me, at which point I hung up with my girlfriend and called the police. Police officer Williams from the UP Police Department came and the owner yelled at him saying I was trying to copy his stuff and that the women in this neighborhood are always trying to copy him. I filed harassment charges against him for hitting my car and holding me against my will. He requested a sergeant to come to the scene. He then changed his story and told Sgt. Mutchler that I came into his store and started throwing merchandise. His sales lady also lied and verified his story that I did this. The owner then filed a criminal trespass warning against me based on his lies. The store owner had nothing damaged to show Sgt. Mutchler so I was told that all it meant was that I could never go in the store again (wouldn’t want to anyway). I have never had such a horrible incident happen to me. I am a stay at home mom with three young children. I couldn’t believe that this man could get away with lying to a police officer as well as verbally and physically assaulting a customer. I asked the officer if the store had a video camera and he asked the store and he was told no. I told the officer that everything would be on a tape and would show them that he was lying. I was truly afraid for my life and strongly believe this man needs anger management as well as possible medication for his behavior. As I started to share my frightening experience with my friends, I have heard numerous horrific stories about how mean this man is and how he berates, intimidates and scorns his customers. I went to the three shops surrounding his store to see if there were any witnesses and they all said he is a very mean man. I don’t know how someone like this owns and store and stays in business in this loving, safe and family oriented neighborhood.
I am sorry to have to send this letter. It is an unfortunate situation, but I believe others need to be warned. I am thankful that I did not have any of my children with me as it would have surely created nightmares for them. Let me know if anything has happened to you from this store.
Maybe he was on a sugar high? Next time I would go w/a box of Butterfingers for the teacher.
Maybe next time she should get off her stupid call before going in a store. As should everyone. And the storeowner ought to post a “no cell phones” sign — as should all stores.
And frankly, I don’t see any reason to believe this story. The stay at home mom who was out shopping by herself on the weekday. On a “business call”. Wait, it was “with a a girlfriend”.
Did we check to see if there was an incident report to correspond with this at the UP police department?
Also she had moved to Dallas in the past few years but a few sentences later she says she just moved from LA. Which is it?
I think if she can’t pronounce ‘Cadeaux’ properly she probably shouldn’t be living in the Park Cities anyway
I also have a story about this creep. Thank goodness he didn’t chase me out of the store. He is rude and has absolutely no business owning a store in this neighborhood.
She said she moved here from LA to Dallas. Does it really matter how long ago. I am also a stay at home mom and I shop during the weekday when my kids are at school. You obvioulsy don’t have children or a cell phone. You missed the point of the story.
I bought chocolates from this store a few years ago and they were old. I tried to exchange them and the guy was very rude to me. I haven’t shopped there since.
I think it’s sad that your first instinct is to not believe someone. Very cynical.
I too have had an incident with this nut. Came in the store 3 years ago — he questioned me on whether or not my handbag was real or fake. Then proceeded to read me the riot act on fake goods etc. He was extremely rude and condescending. I walked directly out.
On her story — not against the law to be on a cell phone in a store. Not against the law to look at price tags. Against the law to assault a customer. I will NEVER go in that store again and will forward this along to all my friends!
I am sure you could call the UP Police to verify the above. She clearly gives you the name of two officers.
I have known this person since she moved from LA to Dallas and she is one of the kindest, calmest and most soft spoken people I have ever met.
I can assure you in NO WAY she was rude or disrespectful on the phone.
This man does not need to be in business.
As a resident of the park cities for over 30 years I will pass this message along to all of my friends and make sure they all know not to shop there!!
I have also received this email from several friends. Friends I respect and trust and have no reason to send something out without good reason, so I will not shop there.
Besides, there are too many other great places in this area to shop without getting harassed!!
I received this email as well and had the same questions re: stay at home mom vs. business call so I emailed her directly. She said she is just starting a business with a friend that allows her to stay at home…it’s not even off the ground yet so she still thinks of herself as a stay at home mom. I get that. I agree that cell phone talking in a store is rude; however, I can also see that she acknowledged that and was trying to end the call. Even if you consider her behavior extremely rude (at worst) it still does not warrant his violent reaction. Also, I forwarded her email to a friend who lives nearby the store thinking that she might have shopped there before and she confirmed that the man is indeed a liar. Sold a friend of her fake goods and passed them off as authentic. Interesting that he gave a woman a hard time about her bag and whether or not it was authentic. Sounds like a nut job to me.
This is now the second time I’ve heard a scary story about this man in that store.
I also know this person who wrote this article and it makes me sad that some of the immediate responses to this article were to question her. I second the fact that she is one of the most proper, polite and soft-spoken people I know. I spoke with her after the incident and have never heard her so shaken up. What should be focused on is that this man wants us to shop in his store yet he berates, assaults, and threatens his customers (please note from above, too, he has insulted ALL the women in “this” neighborhood- not just her) OUR neighborhood should not tolerate this type of behavior. One of the things I love to do is to support our local businesses but we also should ensure that the places in business are safe for us too! This one is NOT!
This man owes her a formal, published apology (People News it would be great if you could get that!).
By the way, I am a stay at home mom who shops during the week and often talks on my phone (i.e. when my kids are not around to interrupt!). I am not as quiet as she is and have never been yelled at for it, but she did NOTHING wrong. BOYCOTT this store. He does not deserve our business and needs to see the repurcussions of his horrible actions!
I will also not be buying from this store, his actions regardless of the reason are inexcusable.
This man sounds like he needs to take a “Customer Service” course. It also sounds like he doesn’t like women very much. I wonder how he would respond to a male coming into his store using a cell phone while shopping?
I know this person very well and can tell you that she is a very kind, composed, and caring person (she was shopping for a teacher’s birthday gift for goodness sakes). This incident should of never happened. I feel for her and the unnecessary thoughts she has to deal with. What a waste of her time.
This man has some real issues and shouldn’t be running a business and dealing with the public. I feel for his employee. He’s not worth it!
I would NEVER, NEVER shop in his store!
About a year ago I wandered into that store on Valentine’s Day to buy some special chocolates for my husband. As I walked in, I saw a handbag on a shelf and I took it down to look at it. It was very pretty and I went looking for the price tag. The man (I’m assuming the same nut case) came over and asked if I liked it. Just then I saw the price tag. “It’s beautiful,” I said. He asked me if I was going to buy it. I told him I would have to think about it and started to put it back on the shelf. He grabbed it out of my hand and asked me what I had to think about. He started ranting about the quality of leather, the workmanship, etc…
I told him I had really come in to buy chocolates, but I would come back because I had no idea he had so many other things. He became very rude and asked how it was that I didn’t know about his store. He asked again if I was going to buy the handbag and I told him it was a little expensive. He started muttering about the quality of his things and did I think he was overcharging his customers. Then he told me the bag wasn’t expensive. I told him it was expensive for me. He started screaming at me saying that I had no business in his store, touching his things if I couldn’t afford them. I was in total disbelief.
Fortunately, I caught him on a good day. He didn’t chase me into the parking lot! Then again, I wasn’t on my cell phone.
There are some inconsistencies in the original story, I agree. Maybe they are due to the woman’s utter shock over being treated this way.
I know this person, and she is so sweet and thoughtful! (How many people do you know that buy their kid’s teachers a birthday present?) It is no one else’s business, including the store owner, whether whe was on her cell or not! I can’t believe this man is still in business, after what I have read above! I am GLAD that someone is still willing to stand up for her principles and common decency! This man needs to have charges of harrassment pressed against him!
I am appalled by the store owners actions. It IS possible to go into a store to just browse. Being on your cell is not rude as long as you are talking respectfully and at a reasonable level. The store owner is obviously a nut case and people should NOT shop in his store. This is not the first incident with this man, something needs to be done. At the very least install security cameras…
After hearing this I’m almost tempted to walk in on my cell phone, equipped with a hidden camera of some sort to catch him!
I’ve lived here 40 years and have never been in his store. Part of me wants to go in (on my cel phone, of course), touch his merchandise and see what happens. No way would I buy anything - I just want to see what he would do. In fact, I think it would be hilarious if we all did that.
The other part of me is afraid I’d (we’d) get shot.
To clarify a few things for those who are consumed with the details. I moved here from LA in August 2005. When I was being yelled at in this store I was frightened and caught completely off guard and was trying to explain that I’ve lived in LA (a city you might expect this sort of thing to occur)for many years and I couldn’t believe in this neighborhood this was happening. I have also been a stay at home mom for many years. I am trying to start a clothing business with a friend and I was speaking to her about this. So it was a business call. Can those of us who don’t have a job outside our house only make personal calls? I was only relaying the truth of what I said to this store owner as it happened.
First of all, there is no law that states you cannot be on your cell phone while shopping.Second of all, since when can’t a stay at home mom be on a business call, there are plenty of stay at home moms with home based businesses and a business call could also be pertaining to a school issue, a home repair problem, billing issues, doctor,dental or church issues…do I need to go on. Actually, I dont, because who she was talking to is absolutely no ones business, especially the women that had the audacity to email Robyn directly and question her about this!! What a joke, that’s totally missing the point!! Which is that this man is a total lunatic and very dangerous. I have been in that store probably 5 or 6 times and not once have I left without getting on the phone immediately and telling the first friend I could reach what a total nut this man is. He has made me feel uneasy and nervous each time I have shopped in there, like I couldn’t wait to get out!! I truly think he is dangerous, like someone on the verge of losing it. I don’t feel like it is safe to have him in our neighborhood. The way he treated his customer for simply talking on her cell phone was inexcusable and very scary, I hate to see what happens the next time a customer upsets him, maybe they won’t be as lucky.
In my opinion, the feedback and comments on this topic have proven three things:
1) The author of the e-mail, the woman at the center of the event, has an awful lot of good friends who believe in her and are willing to defend her. She is fortunate in that respect. It’s rare that I can hear of such an occurrence, blog it and then absolutely no one, not one person, pulls me aside to say something negative about her. I have been at a school event tonight and for two hours people have stopped me saying how sad they are that this happened and they know this woman and how kind she is. I don’t know her but I tend to believe all of these people.
2) This is a perfect example of why the moms are in charge around here. They get together and campaign, they demand better. This is true in our schools and around our community. The chocolate shop owner should watch out because true or false, the moms are going to take this guy down.
3) The woman that this happened to did the most effective thing she could possibly do. She spread the word in a way that cost nothing and reached the core clientele of the shop in a meaningful way. She could not have done better with a commercial during the Super Bowl. I applaud her and am sure that when she does begin her clothing business, it will be a success.
This guy had no idea who he was messing with but I have a feeling he’ll regret it soon.
I have known this woman and her husband for years. There is no question in my mind that her description of the events is accurate. Further, knowing her as I do, I know that she is a lady and handles herself as such. It is appalling and embarrassing to me to have a man such as this store clerk treat anyone like this.
It is equally appalling to me that the University Park Police handled this so poorly. That I find even more absurd than the behavior of the store clerk. We all can and should avoid this store. But what to do about the police? I live in Highland Park and know the police here would have treated this the way it should have been treated. They would have respected the woman this happened to and brought the man in question in, charging him with assault. Shame on the UP Police Department.
WOW!!! What a freak-in nut job!!!
I’m so sorry you had to experience such psychosis. He is clearly “losing it” and in need of some serious DRUGS!
Let’s all meet there tomorrow at 2 p.m. and touch things. Let’s eat food with butter first. Or peanut butter. Finger food with butter. Or honey. Let’s eat finger food with honey in there, then touch things. We could eat Bubbas. Bubbas out of styrofoam containers in the store. We could call each other and talk to each other in the store. Well, we could hold our phone with our clean hand. Or all wear Bluetooths. Anyone?
Well the proprietor’s lack of a sense of humor is documented elsewhere.
How the Grinch Shops for Christmas
D Magazine, 12/1/2006
The Best Friend
I once accompanied my best friend Lisa to Drug Emporium, and in the amount of time it took me to complete 12 laps around the store, purchase a few items, and read every selection on the magazine rack, she hadn’t moved from the shampoo aisle. Whether she’s checking out Noxema or La Mer, the lady is meticulous. She touches and smells every product, closely examines each label, and compares prices to the penny. It can take her days to pull the trigger on a lotion purchase, making her the toughest person on my list to buy for. Lisa just had her second baby, and she recently laughed that, between her stinky English Spaniel and the baby’s dirty diapers, her nose is taking a beating. So I made it my mission to buy her something that smelled unpoop-like. I started at Cadeaux (4506 Lovers Ln. 214-363-4500), a cozy store that sells everything from jewelry to chocolates. I espied some Place de Lices soap ($30). The proprietor promised that it would last six months and could solve “any sort of skin ailment.” “Leprosy?” I asked innocently. He didn’t laugh, and I left shortly thereafter. I headed over to Talulah Belle (2011 Abrams Rd. 214-821-1927). The boutique is full of sweet-smelling potions. The Lollia bath candle ($30) and bubble bath ($32) caught my eye. Both were adorned with a pretty crystal, so I thought that, combined with the pretty scent, they might fight the evil forces smelling up her house. I channeled Lisa and decided to check out one more store. I’m glad I did. Napa Home (4012 Oak Lawn Ave. 214-520-4880) not only has beautiful housewares, it’s also home to two French bulldogs. But the place smells amazing—nothing doggy about it. I took that as a sign and purchased the Millefiori Milano diffuser ($58) in bois de cedre.
I also had a horrible experience at a Dallas chocolate store years ago and still remember it well. While not quite as bad, I did have my young son with me. Now 15 years later, I still remember how nasty the owner of Neuhaus Chocolates at Preston & Royal was. My then 4-year-old son accidentally backed into a stand holding a bubble gum machine while getting up from the table. It went crashing to the floor and glass flew everywhere. The owner ran over to us and started yelling that my son had pushed it over on purpose and that we had to pay for it. As I tried to console my crying child, I told him that I would certainly cover the cost and that it was an accident. I was so stunned and my child so frightened that I hardly knew what to say. A nearby couple had seen what happened and proceeded to argue with the owner that the stand was poorly placed and very precarious. They berated him for his rude behavior and for the possible injury that could have happened to anyone nearby. Several other customers were put off by his behavior as well. I paid the owner and left with my child, vowing never to enter his store again. The store closed shortly after but is now re-opened across the street. But I still boycott it.
OK, OK, I was wrong. Geez. I don’t think it is sad that people question a random email or posting on the internet. If you really take everything you read out there as fact I’m a little worried.
I was in this shop several years ago and man approached me (an unknown person) letting me know that he felt that I could not afford the hand bags. He was not pleasant. As a matter of fact I usually do buy a designer bag about once a season and have often been tempted to go back in to look. I live in the neighborhood but have always refrained from returning because of his treatment.
I believe that it would be prudent to erase this blog as the guy sound like someone you would not want to enrage. He might be a bit unstable.
I think the real reason people questioned the veracity of the e-mail at first is that typically, when an e-mail makes the rounds in the form of multiple forwards, it’s got a good chance of being a hoax - that’s why snopes.com came into being, after all, right?
I had a similar experience there years ago. I walked in and picked up a purse and he immediately came over and started loudly telling me he only sold real purses and if I wanted to buy junk I’d have to go elsewhere. At the time, I thought it was funny that he sized me up and assumed that I didn’t know a real Prada from a fake or that I was in his store to shop for junk. The man is rude and crazy and clearly feels contempt for his female customers. I haven’t been back in 4 years.
This would be a great Seinfeld episode.
2 things: Yes, Sandy you are right. Just like the soup nazi, “No chocolate for you!”. Second, I didn’t realize Harvey Goff (sic) opened a chocolate store.
Let’s patronize a fellow-Parkie mom’s chocolate store instead. Chocolate Secrets on Oak Lawn sells delicious chocolate and fabulous wines, every child gets a free piece of chocolate on every visit, and the service is impeccable. 3926 Oak Lawn (the SE corner of Oak Lawn and Avondale).
I think it’s healthy for people to be skeptical about emails like these although after some initial doubts I tend to believe this particular story based on the details the author provided as well as some of the follow up comments. Bethany is right - emails like these are circulated all the time and many turn out to be fake or grossly exaggerated. And if you’re the one creating the email, you should review it carefully, include verifiable facts (e.g. the names of the UP police officers which the author included here) and resolve or explain any possible inconsistencies (e.g. “I was on a business call” vs. “I’m a stay at home mom”) BEFORE hitting the send button if you want your message to stand up to these kinds of questions.
Before I convinced myself that this email was probably genuine, I was thinking that it could have been written by a malicious competitor or disgruntled employee. It happens more than you think. For those of you who read Frontburner (Overheard’s sister blog), not a week goes by where one of the editors is reporting the rumored closure of a local bar or restaurant (based solely on an email or other “tip”), only to retract the posting a few hours later once they finally got the real story for the business owner. (Frontburner’s latest victim was the Tribeca bar on McKinney just last week). So like I said, some healthy skepticism would be in order. Quite frankly, it would have been nice if Merritt had called the UP police, the store owner and the email writer for comment (you know, the things newspaper reporters are supposed to do) before posting this email.
PCP - you need to fix the “Most Popular Posts this Month” listing on the right. This one is not even making the list.
Neal, perhaps we should have checked your “tribeca bar” example before you were allowed to post??
I think that this completely genuine and am glad that I will not accidently be accosted by this man by simply browsing an unfamiliar store on a shopping trip.
This would be unfortunate for the store owner because unlike the author of this e-mail Robyn Stevens I am NOT the kindest person around.
JOAN…i was thinking the same thing! Someone needs to get some video of this guy in the act…what a creep!
B, good point. If “Aroused Plumber in HP” is ranked higher than “Chocolate Rage” on the most popular post list then a LOT of people are google searching for plumber porn.
This is such a terrible situation. I am so sorry to hear that anyone would be treated with such disrespect, and I am glad that she had the guts to speak out against this store owner and tell her story. It is unfortunate to see a local business owner bite the hand that feeds him, but I have a feeling that ultimately, his actions and lies will not continue to go unpunished. I encourage everyone to forward this out to anyone that they know to stop shopping at this store.
BOYCOTT! If you want chocolates, go visit Cultured Cup at Preston and Northwest Highway. They import fresh chocolates from Belgium into their store and they are amazing. (And the owners are friendly and helpful people who appreciate the customers who give them business and help them prosper)
By the way, I’m a Lakewood resident … the word has spread … and will spread until this man and his store are gone … keep it going …
Christie — I don’t understand what you’re trying to say. My reference to Frontburner’s Tribeca posting was to illustrate the danger in posting rumors without making any attempt at verification. Zac Crain posted the rumor, then updated the post a few hours later to say it wasn’t true after all. (In fact, it appears the rumor was started by a competitor). The point is that he should have checked before posting in the first place, just as Merritt should have done. I saw Merritt’s second post about her visit to the store and her conversation with the guy who owns it, and I think it’s great. The only reason my undies are in a wad is that this legwork should be been done before posting the email in the first place, just as Zac Crain should have followed up on the Tribeca email before putting it on Frontburner. I know blogs get a little more leeway when it comes to rumors and gossip, but Overheard (and Frontburner) are internet outlets of news publications and are staffed by the editors, reporters and columnists who produce the print product. So the standards should be a bit higher for these kinds of blogs compared to, say, TMZ.com.
I am not sure what you mean by “perhaps we should have checked your “tribeca bar” example before you were allowed to post”. If you’re suggesting I baselessly accused Frontburner/D Magazine of doing something wrong, see this link and judge for yourself (be sure to read the comments): http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2008/01/25/has-tribeca-lost-its-liquor-license/
Apparently, this store owner thinks the Dallas community is a lot larger than it really is. Word of mouth in this town is worth a million and moms take other moms’ shopping/store advice to heart (we rely on each other), so this guy should probably cut his losses and shut down. I’ve never been to his store, being a stay-at-home mom with not a lot of extra time on her hands, I definitely won’t be wasting any of my errand-running time on this guy. There are too many other choices…
“NO CHOCOLATES FOR YOU! GET OUT OF MY STORE!” - Love, The Chocolate Nazi
How has this store stayed in business? Is it one of “the” places to shop? Do people really keep shopping there or recommending it even if it is overpriced and unpleasant? I don’t understand how such a store can survive so long with so many credible horror stories — but then my favorite French store is Target’.
I went into this store a number of years ago and had a strange conversation with this guy. He tried to convince me that other stores sold fake goods and that he was the only one qualified to tell the difference between real and fake goods like handbags or antiques. It was weird and I never went back. How does he stay in business?
Why isn’t “Chocolate Rage,” the most popular post?