A California bakery that claimed Tesla did not pay an order worth thousands of dollars said the outstanding bill has been settled, after billionaire Elon Musk promised to “make things good” following press coverage of the incident.
Musk’s company Tesla had ditched an order for 4,000 mini pies from Giving Pies, a Black-owned bakery in San Jose, in California’s South Bay area, bakery owner Voahangy Rasetarinera said on the cafe’s Instagram account five days ago.
In an email to the Guardian on Monday, Rasetarinera confirmed: “Tesla just paid the $2k that I was out of” for supplies and orders she had to decline to accomplish the Tesla orders. 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. Tesla doubled the order to 4,000 pies before ultimately canceling the order without paying, Rasetarinera said.
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.
“To me, it was clear that Tesla’s corporate culture prioritized convenience over accountability, disregarding the livelihoods of small business owners like myself,” she said.
“This experience serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability faced by small businesses when dealing with larger corporations. Despite our best efforts to uphold our commitments and provide quality service, we are often left at the mercy of decisions made in corporate boardrooms.”
Following media coverage of the incident, Giving Pies has seen an influx of support in person and from around the world, 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.
“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.”
• This article was amended on 27 and 28 February 2024 to clarify that the $2,000 owed to Voahangy Rasetarinera was for supplies and orders she had to decline in order to accomplish the Tesla order. Also, a description of San Jose as being in “central California” was changed to the South Bay area.
