A New Jersey bakery tried to protect its employees with a controversial request for customers.
On April 16, Century Bakery asked visitors wearing strong perfumes or colognes to use the drive-thru instead of ordering in-store.
“Several cashiers in our bakery suffer from asthma, and this time of year can be particularly challenging for them due to the high pollen count. The addition of strong fragrances can make it even more difficult for them to breathe, as their airways are already irritated,” they wrote on Facebook, adding that the scents “linger” which “can lead to coughing and discomfort” for workers.
The post continued, “While they are attentive to their health by covering their coughs and maintaining hygiene, we appreciate your understanding in keeping comments regarding coughing to yourselves if you choose to enter the building wearing heavy scents.”
Century Bakery’s general manager Debby Diaz told PEOPLE that she wrote the post after a recent near-emergency. “The day that I made that post, we had within about a 45-minute time period, four different customers come in separate from each other and they all had on really strong perfume to the point that it was just kind of lingering,” she explained, adding that two staff members starting coughing.
“One of the employees had a severe asthma attack,” Diaz said. “She had to use her rescue inhaler four times to get her breathing under control.”
Since sharing the message on Facebook, employees and customers have been thanking Century Bakery for their viral post.
“The employees are happy that I said something because typically in the past they feel like they haven’t had anyone stand up for them — it’s always the customer’s right,” Diaz said.
“I’ve had so many come in from up to an hour away just to thank us in person for making that post. I’ve gotten emails, phone calls like crazy all last week from people in the surrounding states also thanking us for making that post because most people don’t understand how much of an issue perfume does cause for a lot of people.”
The online responses were generally positive, too.
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“I love that you’re doing this, especially the fact that I know I can walk into your store and feel safe,” one person commented. Another person wrote, “Thank you for caring about all of us that has asthma and breathing problems. Much appreciated.”
Some commenters didn’t take to the post as kindly as others. “How can you tell people what they can smell like? This is outrageous,” one person wrote.
Diaz stands by the post and reiterated, “We’re not telling anybody they can’t come in if you’re wearing perfume. You still can. Just be considerate a little bit.”
The Bridgeton, N.J., bakery — which serves doughnuts, custom cakes and a special pastry called “Frie” — first opened in the 1930s and has grown over the past century as a “social enterprise.” The restaurant offers employment opportunities to homeless youth and kids in the foster care system, Diaz explained.
Read the original article on People
