'Communist Star' Logo Changed On Latest Yum Brands Chain After Outcry From Vietnamese Community
(CBS) - The parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC has apologized for the offensive branding of their latest restaurant chain, and promised to make changes immediately.
Vietnamese Americans took to social media earlier this week after the sneak previews of the new Banh Shop chain revealed what looks like a communist star over the "Saigon Street Food" store.
Many took issue with the star's association with a city which fell to the Viet Cong and was later renamed for communist leader Ho Chi Minh. On Thursday, a company representative apologized to the Vietnamese community in Dallas, where one of the stores had opened.
"Please accept our sincere apology to you and to the Vietnamese community for unintentionally offending you with the logo of Banh Shop," YUM Brands Senior Vice President Jonathan Blum wrote to s concerned community leader. "We have the greatest respect for the Vietnamese people and culture. It was never our intent to offend anyone, but we see we have made a mistake and in hindsight, we should have recognized this logo could be offensive."
Blum said the logo would be removed from the restaurant by the end of the day. A new logo will be forthcoming, and Blum said it would be reviewed by Vietnamese Americans before going live.
"We hope that you can let us know if there are any other elements in the new logo or aspects of the restaurant that could be perceived poorly," he wrote.
The previous design, which appeared both on storefronts and on the brand website is a simple black circle emblazoned with a red star. The red star, along with the hammer and sickle, were symbols of the communist movement dating back nearly 100 years.
Vietnam has remained under communist rule since U.S. involvement there ended. Following the Vietnam war, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese citizens fled the communist rule in the country, many losing their lives in the process. The country still carries a flag with communist roots, a yellow star on a red background.
