A country club restaurant in Stafford County, Virginia has caused outrage after curating a menu with specials based on 9/11. As many know, on Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijacked airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. The historic incident was classified as a coordinated suicide terrorist attack.
The Clubhouse at Aquia Harbour in Stafford thought it would be a great idea to celebrate the upcoming 9/11 anniversary with a “Seafood Sunday” theme. Items on the menu included “First Responder Flatbread,” “9-11 Oysters” and “Flight 93 Redirect” crab dip. There was also the “Never Forget” sampler option for patrons who couldn’t decide on just one item. A key lime-flavored “Remember-tini” was offered to wash it all down.
Social media users noted that one of the menu items seemed to hint at how many people lost their lives during the violent attack. “The ‘2977 Chowder’ appears to be a reference to the number of people killed,” one person tweeted. Another wrote, “I genuinely didn’t know off-the-top of my head that the exact official number of 9/11 victims is 2,977, and that is a fact I will truly never forget, thanks to this menu.”
Others wondered how the menu items were approved in the first place. One user said, “How is a f**kin’ whole 9/11 satirical themed menu a mistake in marketing? It’s downright tone deaf.” Another person wrote, “A restaurant in Virginia using a 9/11-themed menu? Trash. Pure trash. 9/11 is NOT to be joked about. Period.”
Once The Clubhouse at Aquia Harbour got wind of the backlash, the restaurant’s manager George White issued an apology on the company’s Facebook page. “I apologize for those I offended with the 9/11 seafood Sunday post,” he said. “My intention was to bring attention to that horrific day 21 years ago. To honor those who lost so much as well as those who gave everything that day. We will have a new theme tomorrow,” White added. Anyone planning to visit the establishment this Sunday (Sept. 11) can expect a football-themed menu.