The widow of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and his estate sent a cease-and-desist letter to a pizza chain that marketed a new item called Marion Berry Knots in a campaign making light of the late “Mayor for Life’s” drug use.
Cora Masters Barry and the former mayor’s estate asked to meet with &pizza CEO Mike Burns after the pizza chain took down the controversial menu item, according to the letter signed by the estate’s attorney, A. Scott Bolden.
Last week, the D.C.-based chain advertised a new menu item called “Marion Berry Knots,” a dessert with marionberries. The advertising campaign referenced the former mayor’s drug use.
“The Marion Berry Knots have enough powdered sugar that will have customers bumping elbows to order and even force the DEA to look twice,” &pizza said in ad copy full of drug references.
After protests from community members saying that the advertisement was made in “poor taste,” &pizza removed the item from the menu.
“Candidly, we made a …