September 28th, 2011
08:30 PM ET

Ice cream cone or Ku Klux Klan member?

A Florida shop had to scrap its ice cream cone mascot because passers-by thought it looked like a man dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

"We were just trying to get people to come in," store employee Jasmine Gonzalez told CNN affiliate WTSP. "We thought it was something fun for people, but eventually people took it the wrong way."

The Ice Cream Family Corner and Sandwiches shop opened a few months ago in Ocala. The owners hired a man to stand outside the shop dressed in a vanilla  ice cream cone costume to attract business.

At first store owners told WTSP they had no idea the outfit was upsetting passers-by,  but then they noticed a drop in business, and began to wonder what was impacting their sales.

Eventually, Gonzalez said they were tipped off that people were avoiding the shop, because they thought the peaked cap was not an ice cream cone costume, but a KKK robe. The mascot was immediately pulled off the street.

Some customers told WTSP they could understand the confusion, while others laughed at the ordeal.

"They (KKK members) don't color themselves (with sprinkles) like that," Wayne Austin chuckled to WTSP as he looked at the costume.

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Filed under: Florida • U.S.
soundoff (222 Responses)
  1. banasy©

    *Facepalm*™

    September 28, 2011 at 8:38 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mark

      How is an ice cream cone related to the KKK? What's next? The Easter Bunny offending vegetarians? Santa Clause hurting people with weight problems? Grow the F- UP, America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      September 28, 2011 at 9:06 pm | Report abuse |
  2. CaptainJack1

    Now that's funny.

    September 28, 2011 at 8:50 pm | Report abuse |
  3. klizzy

    Yes, when i drive by an ICE CREAM SHOP and see a man with sprinkles and waffle cone pants, I totally think of the KKK! *sarcasm*

    September 28, 2011 at 8:54 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mikey

      About as much as I go to a pizza parlor and find the red chinese army...

      September 28, 2011 at 9:14 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Smoked Meat Pole

    ROFLMAO...Really?!?

    September 28, 2011 at 8:55 pm | Report abuse |
  5. KKK

    What's wrong with our ice cream?

    September 28, 2011 at 8:56 pm | Report abuse |
    • Richard

      Nothing is wrong with it. But like somebody else said when I drive by an icecream shop I ain't thinking about the KKK. Only in America can we take something so innocent as icecream and think it represents a racial organization. The KKK wasn't always like that, don't get me wrong they were formed for a good purpose. They have been reinvented about 7 times now, at least I think its 7. I did a report on it in high school and found out alot of interesting facts about them, and no those didn't come off of the KKK website. Anyways ICECREAM=KKK, NOT.

      September 28, 2011 at 9:10 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mikey

      Shut up tea bagger...

      September 28, 2011 at 9:15 pm | Report abuse |
  6. MsKira

    LMAO......

    September 28, 2011 at 8:58 pm | Report abuse |
  7. therealist

    total ripoff of ku klux klam

    September 28, 2011 at 8:59 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Jenny

    LOL too funny...now if that had been a man dressed up as a black panther, that would be OK.

    September 28, 2011 at 8:59 pm | Report abuse |
    • nicole

      Yeah actually it would be ok!!! Panthers came into existence protect their people from white southern racist, racial injustice and plan old mean spirited white folks.

      September 28, 2011 at 9:20 pm | Report abuse |
    • Bimbo the Birthday Clown

      Wake up Nicole. The Panthers murdered people. No excuses.

      September 28, 2011 at 9:32 pm | Report abuse |
  9. CarmenSo

    Ok that guy in the video is HOT. HOT!

    September 28, 2011 at 9:01 pm | Report abuse |
    • The Dude

      You need some ice cream in your pants.

      September 28, 2011 at 9:07 pm | Report abuse |
    • jj

      wow, not as hot as the second girl

      September 28, 2011 at 9:19 pm | Report abuse |
  10. sarcasm

    wrong flavor. should have gone with chocolate

    September 28, 2011 at 9:12 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Andy H.

    How could you possibly confuse a waffle cone with vanilla ice cream & topping costume with a KKK getup?

    – A

    September 28, 2011 at 9:12 pm | Report abuse |
    • grimm

      Really. It seem someone has their racist witch hunt glasses on.

      September 28, 2011 at 9:19 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Mikey

    Are we sure that's not a member of the tea party...

    September 28, 2011 at 9:12 pm | Report abuse |
    • Brewskie

      Since the KKK is a Democrat organization, I would think he is NOT TEA Party.

      September 29, 2011 at 6:46 am | Report abuse |
  13. grimm

    Whats next a defamation lawsuit? Where does the ignorance end?

    September 28, 2011 at 9:18 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Truth

    Didn't know a hispanic man dressed as an ice-cream cone could strike so much fear in the African-American community.

    September 28, 2011 at 9:21 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Yep....

    Since when did the KKK have rainbow sprinkles and a waffle cone pattern?

    September 28, 2011 at 9:21 pm | Report abuse |
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