Dean & DeLuca's new milkshake sparks copycat controversy
In the red corner: Nahim Cafe's Strawberry Polka Dot Milkshake. In the blue corner: Dean & DeLuca's New York Blue Milkshake.
8 years ago
Popular deli chain Dean & DeLuca is under fire from netizens over allegedly stealing their new polka-dot milkshake from a well-loved local cafe.
The New York Blue Milkshake (B150) recently appeared on the menu of D&D's Billboard Cafe, and internet users were quick to point out that it was strikingly similar to Chinatown shop Nahim Cafe's Strawberry Polka Dot Milkshake.
"Didnt you just copy from someone else ka?" wrote one user. "Isnt it a shame to claim that it's your idea? Even the straw you still copy!"
"Look pretty! Where did you learn how to do that from? Better give him/her a credit, don't you think?" said another.
A simple coincidence? Nahim's owner, Pim Chalocha, doesn't think so. She came out to say that a barista from Dean & DeLuca had contacted her to ask how she makes those signature dots so perfect. (Spoiler: they're just marshmallows.)
She even posted screen shots of their Line chat to prove it.
"I wasn't going to be dramatic, wasn't going to respond to any messages, but my Line kept pinging today," she wrote. "My friends, customers, employees all Lined me and I didn't know what to say. I'm not saying I'm original, but I'm a bit frustrated.
"Last month when I got that question [from Dean & DeLuca's barista: 'how do I make the polka dots round just like Nahim's?'] through Line, I didn't know how to answer. When I saw [the milkshake] today, I finally understood. Bad question, bad answer. I'm not saying anything about the brand because I still love and respect it, but I'm complaining about the person. Thank you."
Still, some people are coming to D&D’s defence, pointing out that polka-dot milkshake recipes are pretty easy to find online, some going way back to 2011.
What do you think? A case of a big corporation taking something from the little guy or blown-up social media trolling? While it’s pretty hard to claim a menu item as your own, this one definitely raises a few questions.
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