A Chicago bar is under fire for a sign outside the tavern that poked fun at domestic violence.
The sign outside Gio’s Bar and Grill, at 4857 N. Damen Ave., read, “I like my beer like I like my violence… domestic.” It then boasted $4 beers with the hashtag #GIO’S.
Patrons quickly took to social media to complain about the sign, posting to Facebook, Twitter and even Yelp.
One Yelp reviewer called the sign “ignorant, offensive, tasteless and misogynistic.”
Another posted to Facebook that the Ravenswood establishment is “the best spot around for tasteless domestic violence jokes.”
The sign outside Gio's is known for its salacious messages like one last month that read, "According to chemistry, alcohol is a solution."
The pub quickly took to Facebook to apologize for the latest message.
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“I would like to sincerely apologize for the extremely poor taste on the specials board outside of our establishment today,” the post read. “I can assure you it will never happen again and it does not reflect the views of Gio's, the owner, or it's employees. Again, I sincerely apologize and it will never happen again. I will take corrective actions to ensure that I approve what is written on the board before it is publicly displayed. I hope that you will accept my apologies. Thank You.”
The bar also began replying to the social media complaints, saying the “individual responsible will be subject to disciplinary action.”
“Please know that we are also offended by these actions and in no way find humor in the subject of domestic violence,” the response read.
It’s not the first time the controversial message has landed a bar in trouble.
Last year, a Philadelphia sports bar made headlines for posting the same message to a sidewalk sign. The employee who wrote that message was later fired.
Gio's could not immediately be reached for comment.
