‘We Will Not Bow Down To Bullies’: Jacob’s Brew In Marsaskala Appeals For Reason As Calls For Boycott Appear
A social enterprise coffee shop in Marsaskala run by the family of a youth who lives with a chronic condition have opened up about the harassment they’ve been on the receiving end of.
Jacob’s Brew – Pay It Forward had been launched as a way to help families in need of support to get a free pot of tea or coffee; the place was opened after Jacob – known as the Titanium Man and who has been battling chronic sinusitis for years – entered serious surgery, and expressed his dream wish to run a cafe.
However, he and his family are now facing calls for a boycott and “bullying” messages as they follow current COVID-19 mitigation measures, only allowing vaccinated people into their cafe as per the law.
“We will not bow down to the bullies and their scare tactics. Those that truly know who we are will understand our actions!”
“I can’t say it has been easy turning people away that did not comply to this ruling,” the Jacob’s Brew team said. “In fact we were pained to do so, but we have made it very clear from the start that we will abide by the regulations for the health and safety of our customers and staff.”
Maltese restaurants abiding by the law have been targeted by a small group of people, who have been coordinating via social media to put pressure on local restaurants to close down in protest of Maltese law, which they call “discriminatory”. Restauranteurs have spoken openly about the bullying tactics they’ve faced, from an influx of inbox messages to negative comments and reviews flooding their page.
“We are proud to state that despite the bullying, threats and even malicious posts citing to boycott our shop we have stood our ground throughout and obeyed the law as it should be,” they continued.
“Whether we agree with it or not doesn’t come into it at all. This is not about us. It’s about our business and keeping it open to survive. Ultimately our goal throughout was and is to keep our patrons safe!”
Jacob’s Brew apologised to any customers that they had to turn away due to being unvaccinated, but urged people to understand restauranteurs situation, and not just their own.
“We are sorry if anybody that entered our shop in the past weeks were turned away because they did not present us with their vaccine certificates as is currently required by law. A law that if we do not abide to we face heavy fines. Fines we cannot afford to pay.”
“If we have offended you then we are sorry, but we will not apologise for abiding by the law. The establishments that chose to break the law did so out of pure greed and not because they pitied you!”
“On behalf of all businesses effected in recent weeks by this mandatory requirement, I will say that it is so wrong on so many levels that we have been unfairly persecuted throughout. Discrimination works both ways, unfortunately.”
Online, commentators quickly showed their support to the social enterprise, with some saying “these boycotters are brainless”.
Jacob, known as Titanium Man, was diagnosed with sinusitis at 15 years back in 2013, when, after five days of treatment, he suffered severed fits and was rushed for an emergency MRI.
Doctors found that the right side of his brain had been infected, entering his brain through his sinuses in a rare condition known as Meningoencephalitis. Numerous complications later, Jacob was given a 50/50 chance of survival.
Over the next couple of years, he suffered two major haemorrhages, two bouts in the ITU, four life-threatening brain surgeries which left him with extensive brain damage and a partial disability, and a coma.
After he miraculously recovered from the harrowing experience, his parents wanted to make sure that his dream to run a coffee shop finally comes true.
Not wanting to waste any time and risk losing their son to remain in their memory, they threw caution to the wind and made the personal and financial sacrifice to open a coffee shop – something that had been Jacob’s dream since he was a young boy.
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