Barbecue Joint Receives Death Threats After Offering Rougned Odor Free Food
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - The owners of a Fort Worth barbecue joint say they've received fake reviews and even death threats in response to what they call a joke.
After the Texas Rangers' Rougned Odor, punched the Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista in a game last week, Travis Heim and his wife offered the second baseman free barbecue for life. "I don't know if he'll ever show up," said Heim.
Two hundred "Rougned Eats Free" t-shirts quickly sold out. Then came the backlash from Toronto Blue Jays fans.
"Didn't expect such a strong negative response where we feared for our safety," he said.
There were social media posts, like the one wishing him a "special place in hell" and profanity laced phone calls, including ones so threatening he's reported them to police. "People saying they were gonna murder us, murder my family…" he said.
Some critics went after the family business too. Heim said he found fake reviews claiming the restaurant gave people food poisoning.
"My wife and I, when we opened (Heim's Barbecue), we had a $100 in our bank account," he said. "To me it's a really messed up thing to do."
He says he's backing off social media for now, but as for the T-shirts… well, he's waiting on an order for more.
"I mean, I don't care what a bunch of Canadians think. We're gonna sell the T-shirts. It's a joke. Get over it," he said.
The restaurant is currently closed, as it moves to a new location on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth. It is expected to re-open mid-June.
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