A California bakery that claimed Tesla did not pay an order worth thousands of dollars said the outstanding bill had been settled after billionaire Elon Musk promised to “make things good” following press coverage of the incident.
Resolution of Outstanding Payment:
Musk’s company, Tesla, had ditched an order for 4,000 mini pies from Giving Pies, a Black-owned bakery in San Jose, in central California, bakery owner Voahangy Rasetarinera said on the cafe’s Instagram account five days ago.
Confirmation of Payment Settlement:
In an email to the Guardian on Monday, Rasetarinera confirmed: “Tesla just paid the $2k that I was out of.” This came after Musk responded to the story on X, formerly Twitter, stating: “Just hearing about this. Will make things good with the bakery.”
The incident occurred after Rasetarinera’s bakery received a last-minute order for 2,000 pies from Tesla on Valentine’s Day – a $6,000 catch for the small business, KTVU reported.
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Tesla doubled the order to 4,000 pies before ultimately canceling the order without paying, Rasetarinera said.
Impact on the Bakery:
In her Instagram post, Rasetarinera said to fulfill the order, she had to turn down other Black History Month catering inquiries, purchase additional supplies, and prepare her staff for a “demanding production schedule” – for which she was not compensated.
Following media coverage of the incident, Giving Pies has seen an influx of support in person and worldwide, according to reports from NBC Bay Area.
Over the weekend, hundreds of customers lined up at the store to buy pies. Rasetarinera said she was “blown away” by the response. In her initial Instagram post, Rasetarinera said the incident allowed her to reflect on her journey as a business owner.
Resilience and Determination:
“As I reflect on this ordeal, I am reminded of the resilience and determination that have propelled me forward as a black woman entrepreneur,” she said.
“While Tesla’s actions may have caused temporary setbacks, they will not deter me from pursuing my passion and serving my community with integrity and pride.”