A saga involving Tesla, a local California bakery, and about 4,000 mini pies has been resolved after CEO of the electric carmaker, Elon Musk, said he would “make things good with the bakery.”
It all started with a last-minute order for 2,000 pies from Tesla on Valentine’s Day from a bakery named Giving Pies in San Jose, central California.
The order was a promise of $6,000 for the small business, according to The Guardian.
Bakery owner Voahangy Rasetarinera said the company later asked for the order to be doubled, consequently bulking up the order to 4,000 mini pies. But right after Voahangy bought the required items and made arrangements to cater for the hefty order, Tesla canceled at the last minute without paying her and put her out thousands of dollars.
Tesla eventually canceled the hefty order without paying the bakery owner
Image credits: Beata Zawrzel / Getty Images
“To fulfill the order, I had turned down other Black History Month catering inquiries, purchased supplies, and prepared for a demanding production schedule,” said the bakery’s Facebook post about “how Tesla’s actions hurt my small Black women-owned business.”
“To me, it was clear that Tesla's corporate culture prioritized convenience over accountability, disregarding the livelihoods of small business owners like myself. This experience serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability faced by small businesses when dealing with larger corporations,” the post continued.
Owner Voahangy said it cost her $2,000 to buy the ingredients for the order, which she accommodated after turning down other requests from customers.
"When you're a big corporation, $2,000 is pocket money ... But for us, it's a lot," the small business owner said
Image credits: The Giving Pies
"When you're a big corporation, $2,000 is pocket money. It's nothing," Voahangy told ABC7. "But for us, it's a lot."
After the bakery shared its woes on social media, the post went viral and prompted many to rush and show their support for the bakery after the major setback. Over 300 customers showed up at Giving Pies’ doorstep last Friday and Saturday, while donations from as far as the Netherlands and Sweden poured in.
"It's so heartwarming, I'm so super grateful," Voahangy said. "I don't think I have any words to use to say how grateful I am."
When news of the incident spread on X, formerly known as Twitter, Elon responded to the incident and said he would make things right.
Elon Musk acknowledged the incident on social media and said he would "make things good"
“Just hearing about this. Will make things good with the bakery,” he wrote on the social media platform. “People should always be able to count on Tesla trying its best.”
Voahangy confirmed to media outlets that Tesla had officially paid her the $2,000 that she shelled out for the ingredients.