Maine Restaurant Owners Threatened for Changing Shape of French Fries

Bolley’s Famous Franks in Waterville, Maine is a longstanding tradition for many customers, however, restaurant owners Leslie and Jim Parson have been reportedly had been cursed at, threatened and treated hostilely after they switched their menu from crinkle-cut French fries to straight-cut.

Leslie Parsons, co-owner of Bolley’s Famous Franks in Waterville, said in a statement on Thursday that while there is an understanding that the crinkly, deep-fried potatoes were “the long-standing traditional fry…“I was forced to make an unpopular business decision for reasons as a business owner one must make from time to time,” she wrote. “The blades are ridiculously pricey and flimsy. It takes many blades to operate the cutter and after sinking thousands, yes thousands, I chose to go with an alternative cut. They are still fresh cut daily. We still use the best potato in Maine. It is still a very expensive French Fry and our process minus the crinkle cut is still the same.”

Even though this change happened in late June, according to the Kennebec Journal, it has increasingly become tenser for the business owners of this family ran establishment. Jim Parsons also stated that a man came in earlier this month, angry about the change, and ended up threatening to fight him. In the statement, Leslie stated, “I just want to say I will absolutely not tolerate being sworn at, threatened physical harm to myself, my husband and children,” she said. “It is unacceptable here at Bolley’s and should NEVER be tolerated anywhere. I apologize to the customers whom I know would much prefer the crinkle cut fry and have graciously accepted our change.”

With hundreds of comments on this statement, some have still had that fire in their soul, fighting for those crinkle cut fries. A comment by customer Tony Clewley said, “Still shouldn’t have changed it. You put price over your customers. That would send me to another place for sure. I wouldn’t swear at you or be rude. That’s just wrong but I as a customer would go elsewhere.” and another posted: “I’m sorry to say, the last time I was in, and found out … the FFs had been demoted to a Cheaper style, and the prices had increased to a bit too much in my eyes for dogs n fries…I didn’t come away satisfied.”