An advertisement that appeared in the April 7 edition of The Commonwealth Times created friction between Stuffy’s, the Harrison Street submarine-sandwich shop, and VCU’s Reformed University Fellowship.
The half-page advertisement in The Commonwealth Times invited VCU students to attend the program, “Homosexuality and the Compassion of God,” a speech on “how the God of grace set Barry free from the sin that bound him,” in the University Student Commons Theater.
The speaker, Barry Anderson, discussed his conversion to heterosexuality through the teachings of the Bible.
As an added attraction the advertisement stated that students would get to eat “Free Subs provided by Stuffy’s,” a plug, that Stuffy’s owner and operator, Conrad Lewane, said misrepresented Stuffy’s.
“For the fellowship to include the phrase ‘Free Subs provided by Stuffy’s’ on the advertisements gives the impression that Stuffy’s subs were provided free of charge to the fellowship as a sponsor for the event,” Lewane said.
The Rev. Chris Daniel, campus minister for the fellowship, said it was not the organization’s goal to associate Stuffy’s with the speech’s controversial topic.
“I could see how someone might read that into it,” Daniel said. “But that was never the intention.”
Daniel, an ordained Presbyterian minister, said he thought using Stuffy’s name in the advertisements would attract people to the event.
“The kind of food being served is important,” he said, “and people like Stuffy’s subs.”
But Lewane views the advertisements as associating his submarine-sandwich shop with the fellowship as well as with the topic covered in the speech.
“There is no other way to interpret the fliers,” he said, “other than Stuffy’s is sponsoring the event.”
The days after the fliers were posted on campus, Lewane said, he received calls from people concerning his involvement with the fellowship and the event. One such call came from Jermey Kidd, president of Queer Action, a group that promotes social activism at VCU.
“I did think that Stuffy’s was involved with the event as a sponsor until I talked to the owner, and he straightened things out,” said Kidd, a former fellowship member. “He told me he was no longer going to supply the subs for the event because of the ad.”
Once Kidd talked with Lewane to hear his side of the story, he said he sent a press release to Queer Action members asking them to thank Stuffy’s for refusing to supply the subs for the event.
Stuffy’s operator said he has always provided food at cost for any nonprofit or helpful organization.
“Anybody that is doing anything positive for our community, I don’t mind feeding them at cost,” he said.
VCU students, faculty and staff comprise 65 percent to 70 percent of Stuffy’s business in Lewane’s estimation. But he said he doesn’t think the advertisement will impact his business negatively.
Although Lewane said the fellowship has lost its inexpensive submarine sandwiches he will continue to provide food at cost to other organizations and events.
As a substitute for the promised submarine sandwiches the fellowship provided free pizza to the group.