pearl harbour milkshakes

Photo: Grillers / Facebook

SA restaurant under fire for ‘insensitive’ Pearl Harbour offer

It’s not often you see businesses use a war crime to flog their products – and there’s a damn good reason for that. Grillers’ Pearl Harbour milkshakes will now ‘live in infamy’.

pearl harbour milkshakes

Photo: Grillers / Facebook

If this is a marketing strategy, it was incredibly risky. But the Grillers restaurant in Port Elizabeth came up with a cringeworthy attempt to pay tribute to the 79th anniversary of Pearl Harbour – which featured milkshake-themed celebrations. The posts have since been deleted from their social media channels.

Pearl Harbour Remembrance Day – how many people died during the attack?

A total of 2 403 people were killed during the Japanese attack on the strategic American military post back in 1941. It was one of the most consequential moments in human history. The US then joined the fight alongside the allies, and wreaked revenge upon Japan by dropping atom bombs on their major cities – effectively speeding up the end of World War 2.

The casualties piled-up, before armed conflict ceased in 1945. It’s one of the most devastating attacks to ever take place on American soil, and in terms of fatalities, only 9/11 can surpass the final toll. So offering customers the chance to ‘celebrate’ this event with a slightly cheaper milkshake isn’t going to sit well with everybody.

Grillers go for ‘war crime milkshakes’

For R28.90, customers are urged to ‘think back’ to when Pearl Harbour was attacked once they’ve picked up a milkshake. It’s a bizarre moment – even in a year like this – and fails to take the need for nuance into account.

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ?Grab one of our delicious milkshakes for only R28,90 and think back to 1941, when the Pearl Harbor was attacked ?? #Grillers #PearlHarbor #RemembranceDay

Posted by Grillers on Monday, 7 December 2020

Pearl Harbour milkshakes – they probably won’t catch on

The offer remained in place throughout Monday, and although outrage wasn’t exactly swelling, Grillers may have to think twice before making special offers out of a historical tragedy. Pearl Harbour was declared a war crime in the aftermath of WWII and was described as a day ‘that will live in infamy’ by President Franklin Roosevelt.

We have reached out to Grillers for a comment, and will feature their reply once it has been received.