A California restaurateur has been compelled to permanently close her business after facing a torrent of brutal online mockery over her premium menu prices. Kendra Kolling shut the final location of her San Francisco Bay Area sandwich shop, The Farmer's Wife, in early January, attributing the decision to severe economic difficulties.
The Viral Post That Sparked Widespread Criticism
Kolling revealed that her business began to struggle significantly last year following a viral Reddit post that prompted thousands of users to vehemently criticise her for the cost of her items. The post featured an image of The Farmer's Wife's menu board with the caption, 'Sandwich prices made me lol. We are doomed.'
'They were calling me the most vile things, that it was beyond sandwiches,' Kolling told SFGATE. 'It was so hurtful and personal.'
Menu Items That Drew Public Ire
The controversial menu listed a classic grilled cheese on sourdough bread for $22, a $34 steak and eggs sandwich, and a 'T-Rex Club' containing turkey, ham and bacon for $30. Each sandwich was served with a side salad. Additional items included the 'Fruit and Blue Melt' for $26 and the 'Belly + Jelly' sandwich with honey lavender bacon, apricot conserve, aged cheddar and blue cheese for $28. Salads were also available, with the most expensive chicken option priced at $31.
Fierce Online Backlash From Consumers
Commenters rapidly condemned the business and Kolling for charging such elevated prices. One individual wrote, 'Tell The Farmer's wife to go kick rocks with those prices,' while another added, 'This is f*****g insanity.' A third labelled it 'Criminal s**t,' and a fourth exclaimed, 'These prices are obscene!!!! Where is deli?'
Many users insisted they would never pay Kolling's rates, preferring to eat at home. 'That's a no from me based on price alone, I can go home and have a steak for the price of one of those sandwiches,' one person stated. Another wrote, 'That's why I have mastered the art of cooking and no longer go out. Three sandwiches would give me two weeks' worth of groceries.'
A third commenter added, 'If I walked in and saw those prices, I'd make sure the employees saw me laugh as I looked up at the menu and walked out.' A fourth proclaimed, 'The sandwich revolt needs to begin! Everyone, buy brown lunch bags, start making sandwiches, the revolution starts now!'
Economic Impact and Business Closure
Kolling observed a sharp decline in customers after the post went viral, rendering her shops economically unviable. 'When everyone was feeling the economic pains, someone's got to be the target. Someone has to be the poster child for everything costing so much,' she explained.
'My brand and my identity became brutally attacked, and it crushed my spirit,' Kolling lamented. She closed her cafe at Sebastopol's The Barlow Market in September and shuttered her Point Reyes Station location this month. 'I didn't make the money that I was used to making in the summertime, and it would have been a lot tougher,' she noted.
Future Prospects and Personal Reflection
Despite the ordeal, Kolling's passion for cooking remains intact, and she is open to reopening another shop under more favourable economic conditions. 'I would entertain partnering with someone for the Wife to ride again,' Kolling said. 'But right now, I'm just kind of licking my wounds and getting my strength back.' Daily Mail contacted Kolling for additional comment, though further details were not disclosed.
