JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Northeast Florida-based beverage maker is facing significant backlash following multiple posts on Instagram that criticized supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Moonbooch’s Instagram account and that of the company’s owner, Stephen Joseph Mekoski, reportedly featured the phrase, “all stomachs matter" appearing to mock the BLM movement.
Another post on Mekoski’s account said, "if you posted black out Tuesday your a…” followed by a digital icon of a rainbow sheep. “Sorry not sorry,” the post said, followed by “and if you donated money to the #blm you just gave it directly to the inbreeds. Furthermore all lives matter is the first step towards equality.”
The kombucha company has since deactivated its Facebook page and its Instagram account.
The posts caught the attention of some of the businesses which carry Moonbooch products.
“I am able to confirm that we absolutely and permanently discontinued Moonbooch from our store at 9:20 a.m. last Wednesday,” said James Robison, President of Grassroots Natural Market. “We immediately pulled the Moonbooch tap handle and printed a new draft juice bar menu without his brand. Our decision was obvious, instantaneous, and necessary. We were very shocked and disappointed.”
“We have taken down his sign that we had at the front of the shop and will not be ordering from his company again,” an email from Beeatroot owners Wendy and Scott Ritchey said. “We were actually very surprised by his stance because he never came across in person as someone who would say/post that kind of hate.”
The post also cost the beverage maker its spot at the Riverside Arts Market in Jacksonville and the St. Augustine Farmers Market.
"Removal was in accordance with our Standard Operating Procedures,” John Silveira Senior Manager of the Riverside Arts Market.
Those actions were described as a “small victory” for the organizer of a Change.org petition which called for the removal of Moonbooch as a vendor.
News4Jax made multiple attempts to contact Mekoski, but did not receive a response. The operating St. Augustine headquarters of Moonbooch, an establishment called “Moonbar,” was apparently closed and the website does not appear to be active.
The Moonbooch Instagram account posted an apology which reads in part:
“We apologize to anyone we may have hurt for comments that we’re (sic) taken out of text!”