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. A God Fearing Muslim Woman

    People are stupid anymore. The sprinkles may not be visible but I guess people can't put two and two together. Ice cream cone suit + Ice Cream Shop.

    September 28, 2011 at 11:42 pm | Report abuse |
  2. JKT

    One other possibility: Nobody really mistook it for KKK but the shop claims some did so they could get on the news and get some publicity?

    September 28, 2011 at 11:51 pm | Report abuse |
    • Jesus

      I thought ice cream cone suit meant violent racist. I was wondering why he was waving at cars and not burning crosses.

      September 29, 2011 at 12:20 am | Report abuse |
  3. Who Cares

    whatever...it don't matter...just don't bit it!

    September 28, 2011 at 11:59 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Tia

    Anyone who saw that guy wearing the waffle cone and vanilla ice cream costume and mistook it for a KKK robe needs to remove themselves from the gene pool.

    September 29, 2011 at 12:00 am | Report abuse |
  5. Pointless1

    Since when do the KKK where cone bottoms? Makes sense... it's Florida... stop eating the shrooms people...

    September 29, 2011 at 12:01 am | Report abuse |
  6. Brennan

    If you thought that was a Klansman, you may legally be mentally handicapped.

    September 29, 2011 at 12:02 am | Report abuse |
  7. Pimpson

    I'll take a KKKone.

    September 29, 2011 at 12:02 am | Report abuse |
  8. Hector

    WOW..........ppl are stupid

    September 29, 2011 at 12:03 am | Report abuse |
  9. Hector

    the KKK are a bunch of fruitbowls

    September 29, 2011 at 12:06 am | Report abuse |
  10. just me

    Any reason to step on a wh ite man. What Idiots.

    September 29, 2011 at 12:06 am | Report abuse |
  11. Brian

    Retards....And you know what I mean. I do not mean a person with genetic defects. I am referring to over sensitive, over-bearing, self absorbed twits that use there personal feelings to persuade others to get what they want.

    September 29, 2011 at 12:08 am | Report abuse |
  12. Penny Nickels

    I'll take the vanilla flavor, no chocolate thank you....

    September 29, 2011 at 12:11 am | Report abuse |
  13. John

    Unemployment agent: " so you are back again....what happened?"
    Ex kkk/ice cream mascot: " Well this one you won't believe. After 99 weeks of unemployment I thought I caught a break, but it turned out that the job I got was offending too many people. The mrf@&$rs had me put on a kkk hood and I did not even know it."

    September 29, 2011 at 12:30 am | Report abuse |
  14. misands

    ROTFLMAO!!! That has got to be one of the funniest stories I've read in a while!

    September 29, 2011 at 12:35 am | Report abuse |
  15. gabgab

    HAHAHAHA PEOPLE are ridiculous and are ALWAYS assuming the worst!

    September 29, 2011 at 12:35 am | Report abuse |
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