This billboard battle is heating up.
(PETA)
PETA is still feeling salty about the billboard battle with Jimmy’s Famous Seafood restaurant, in Maryland.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has announced they will be placing a new sign up in the Baltimore area after Jimmy’s response to their original sign.
The new sign will read “Why so Crabby? Letting others live might just save your life,” a direct reference to Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, which put up its own anti-PETA billboard last week announcing their famous “SteaMEd crabs.”
“The ad is aimed at those who got their claws out over PETA’s first billboard – which showed a crab proclaiming, "I’m ME, Not MEAT" – and argues that choosing a vegan meal not only spares crustaceans the horror of being steamed or torn apart while still alive but also might just save diners’ lives: Vegan foods contain none of the mercury, lead, arsenic, PCBs, and numerous other toxins found in the flesh of aquatic animals,” PETA said in a statement to Fox News.
The feud between the vegan organization and the restaurant started in late August, when PETA placed a billboard in downtown Baltimore featuring a blue crab with the words, “I’m ME, not MEAT. See the individual. Go vegan.”
PETA billboard urges Baltimore residents not to eat crab
John Minadakis, owner of Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, hit back with his sign after feeling personally attacked by PETA’s billboard.
“As small business owners, we felt compelled to defend our history and livelihood from this unprovoked attack,” he told Fox News. “My father built this landmark with his bare hands. Our family was raised in this business, and literally grew up on the second floor of the building.”
"PETA’s suggestion that crabs could be treated with kindness, not Old Bay seasoning, got some people all steamed up," said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, referring to Minadakis’ sign.
“Business has in fact been affected by the recent events. Our online nationwide crab cake shipping orders have doubled."
However, Minadakis is not feeling too crabby about the recent publicity from the billboard back-and-forth.
“Business has in fact been affected by the recent events. Our online nationwide crab cake shipping orders have doubled. On-site business is up 30 percent,” Minadakis told Fox News in an exclusive interview.
“We have hard-working American citizens jumping on planes and flying to our family restaurant for lunch and dinner. I’ve met families from Montana, Memphis, Iowa, Florida, and everywhere in between!” he added.
Minadakis said the booming business has happened in spite of “a host of one star only reviews courtesy of PETA’s zombies.”
“I’ve literally been sleeping in my office so that I can be here to greet and serve all of these guests who have come to our aid,” he said to Fox News. “My Greek immigrant father taught us to treat people the way we want to be treated and to give the people what they want.”
“PETA is still looking for options to place our new billboard in Baltimore to remind everyone that crabs are sensitive, feeling animals who do not want to die."
PETA has not yet decided on a location for its new billboard.
“PETA is still looking for options to place our new billboard in Baltimore to remind everyone that crabs are sensitive, feeling animals who do not want to die, and that we can all do right by our health and the animals by eating a vegan diet,” the organization said in a statement.
Minadakis will not be backing down whenever the sign does go up.
“I’ve had men & women who depend on the crab industry reach out to let me know they appreciate our efforts and stand with us. Commercial crabbers from the Eastern Shore, crab pickers from Crisfield, hospitality industry employees, and everyone in between! They’ve expressed to me that their weekly paycheck depends on the outcome of this attack, and wish to help in any manner they can,” he said.
“As a small business, we know we are outgunned by PETA’s blank check book, but we will not back down in the face of tyranny,” he said. “Our honor and integrity are not for sale. We are every day people of principle.”
Alexandra Deabler is a Lifestyle writer and editor for Fox News.
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