By ERIN ROLL
roll@montclairlocal.news
The Dairy Air ice cream shop, which became mired in controversy last December over its derrière-themed name and provocative logo — a sexy female cow with a prominent rear end — has closed its doors after a year in business.
Owner Anthony Tortoriello blamed “extremist radical liberals” who he said were on a crusade to destroy his business, according to reports by northjersey.com.
The shop opened in 2017 on the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Park Street, with the controversy soon following as soon as the signs went up inside the store.
Amy Tingle, co-founder and owner of The Creative Caravan a few blocks from Dairy Air, took the ice cream parlor to task for the logo, which depicted a cartoon cow, sporting blond braids and a jaunty French beret, and with a curvy, very human-looking rear end. The cow’s butt has a heart with the initials “DA,” for Dairy Air, within it.
“It is offensive and sickening,” she wrote on social media last December. “A hyper-sexualized, obviously female cow with her ass upended and poking through a circle, tail raised up, waiting for what? I’m not sure, but I do know that I am repulsed and offended.”
The cow logo was posted inside the shop, while a sign with an ice cream sandwich hung from windows.
The shop served up ice cream made by using liquid nitrogen at about $9 a serving. Its menu listed numerous offerings with names related to derrières including the Backside Banana Split, Keister Key Lime and Coconut, Peanut Butt’r Booty, Oprah’s Favorite Fanny, Backend Bourbon Blues, Bumm Rush, Sweet Cheeks and Chocolate, Devil’s Derrière, Spankin’ Strawberry Moon, Mexican Waffle Wedgie and the Muffin-Top Money Maker.
Tingle’s letter sparked a fierce debate on social media about the logo, with many people objecting to it. But there were many who bristled at what they considered an overreaction by “politically correct police,” and said there were more important issues for residents to worry about.
At that time, Tortoriello met with Tingle, contending the logo was meant to be fun, not offensive. The shop also promised that it would change the logo after customers and community members complained. But the change never happened.
As of Tuesday, the phone at the business had been disconnected. Tortoriello could not be reached for comment.