“You’ve Got the Wrong Ambiance!” SLO Boutique Confused with Unrelated L.A. Factory Involved in ICE Activity
Jarrod Zinn
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – A fashion boutique in San Luis Obispo has gotten hateful reactions following immigration raids in L.A.
The problem is, their small store has nothing to do with the raid.
The owners are hoping to clear up some confusion.
At Ambiance Boutique, a locally owned store in downtown San Luis Obispo, its been a stressful week for everyone.
And it’s all due to a misunderstanding about the store’s name.
Back on June 6th, ICE raided a store called Ambiance Apparel in L.A., arresting dozens of workers and igniting days of unrest.
“It was pretty surreal, actually,” says store co-owner Colby Courter. “We started getting phone calls from our store manager here on Saturday, and she was saying that there were a number of very angry people calling.”
Since that day, the owners of Ambiance Boutique in SLO have been receiving hateful comments on social media, as well as vulgar and even threatening emails and phone calls.
“Saying horrible things about us and personally and about the store,” says Courter.
In just one week, the onslaught has gotten so bad the boutique has had to update its internet and phone listings to specify that there is no connection or affiliation between the two businesses.
“We’re bombarded so often with kind of this dopamine spike we allow it to really impact our behavior in a way that’s probably not beneficial to us or to society as a whole,” says the other co-owner Kannyn Courter.
To make it clear, their products have different sources, their business ownership is completely separate, and the SLO boutique has a target clientele that differs from the retail outlets the L.A. factory supplies.
They just have similar names.
“We as a society need to find a better way to come together and help each other in these moments,” says Kenny, “Because the hate for hate’s sake isn’t getting us anywhere.”
The boutique’s owners hope this mix-up can serve as an example of why people should think before jumping to conclusions.
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