‘Hiring non-stupid people’: Restaurant sign goes viral, and not in a good way

The hiring sign posted by Santino's Pizza copped backlash on social media

A pizza shop is facing backlash for its bitingly blunt recruitment ad. Santino's Pizza in Ohio sparked a controversy after posting a ‘help wanted’ sign that rubbed many the wrong way.

“Now hiring non-stupid people,” the recruitment sign hung outside Santino's Pizza on Tuesday read. The sign was criticised by hundreds of locals and social media users as condescending and offensive, however Jayden Dunigan, whose family owns the restaurant, told WSYX that it was meant to be a joke. He said the restaurant spent time and money on hiring and training new recruits, only for them to not show up when scheduled to work.

What are your thoughts on this sign?
Hear what the owners have to say tonight on @wsyx6 at 10/11 pic.twitter.com/UJbR33N4Yb

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— Stephanie Duprey (@StephanieWSYX6) February 17, 2023

“I live down the street, and it always looks closed. I think employees might be the least of its worries,” another said. “It’s not offensive, just extremely unprofessional. Not a place I would go to,” a third person opined.

One offended person reportedly went so far as to pull a prank on the restaurant, ordering pizzas worth $100 without paying for them and never showing up to collect them.

“They should’ve taken a card for an order over $60. They didn’t,” the Facebook user wrote, according to The Hill. “I guess they shouldn’t have hired stupid people. Pizza sucks btw.”

Dunigan said the customer ordered 10 pizzas and later cancelled the order. Instead of letting the food go waste, the pizza shop chose to donate it.

Not everyone who came across the sign was offended by it - many also saw the amusing side to things and found the sign to be hilarious.