Hellmann’s has offered to pay for the repair of a restaurant that was set on fire by an angry customer over their lack of mayonnaise.
The multinational company made the offer after the alleged arson last month.
A Hellmann’s spokesperson said: “Cafetería Las Postas, we’re sorry we weren’t there.
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“From now on, you can count on us.”
The mayo maker promised to repair the premises and ensure that mayonnaise will never be absent from their shelves again.
The eatery in Los Palacios y Villafranca (corr) near Seville, Spain, on 20 August.
Owner José Antonio Caballero said the suspect first asked for “a couple of sachets of mayonnaise” for his sandwich.
After being told that they had run out, he tried again with another waitress.
The suspect then headed to a nearby petrol station to buy a 1.5-litre bottle of fuel, as reported by Need To Know.
Minutes later he returned, asked a third time, and when told no again, poured petrol over the counter and set it alight.
CCTV footage shows the suspect storming inside, dousing the counter with fuel, and sparking it with a lighter.
As flames shot towards the ceiling, he calmly strolled back out – patting his arm.
Terrified customers, including children as young as four and elderly diners, bolted for the exit as staff battled the blaze with an extinguisher.
Caballero estimated the financial hit to be between €7,000 (£6,055) and €9,000 (£7,784).
He said in a statement: “Fortunately, none of us or our customers suffered any serious harm – only material damage that can be replaced.”
A suspect was arrested minutes afterwards in a nearby square.
He was taken to a health centre under police guard for burns to his arm.
The investigation is ongoing.
Hellmann’s response has sparked debate online, with some users praising the brand’s ingenuity in reacting to a high-profile incident, while others criticised them for capitalising on an event that could have ended in tragedy.
One local said: “Hellmann’s, it’s a little in bad taste, no? Will you get noticed? Yes. But at what cost? I don’t think a brand like yours needs to do this.”
“What happened is not a joke,” added another.
Jonathan remarked: “Taking advantage of someone’s misfortune to do marketing, hahaha.”
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