Cafe Blue, the popular coffee franchise at the centre of controversy last weekend, is apologising to the Jamaican public for a job vacancy advertisement local Twitter users slammed as being ‘colourist’.

The company, in a tweet on Monday (January 3), said it never intended to offend customers or prospective applicants.

“Cafe Blue apologizes for any offense caused by the images used in our recent hiring ad. This regrettable graphic does not in any way reflect our hiring practices, as our customers can attest. Our company represents the best of Jamaica and we will continue to strive to do so,” the company wrote.

Similarly to Cafe Blue’s ad, the apology has again polarised Jamaican Twitter as users weigh in on the gesture’s sincerity (or lack thereof).

Majority sentiment from the Twitterati likened the formal apology to ‘giving PR vibes’ even as others were more than happy to move on and put the colourism argument aside.

Some, taking Cafe Blue excuse with a grain of salt, contended that the advertisement was not a mistake and expressed doubt anything would change.

A few uptown (and ‘uptown aspiring’) caffeine connoisseurs felt that the Cafe Blue backlash was overblown by counterarguing the establishment is a fine example of a 100 per cent Jamaican company.

“Yes man – must be a mistake – we know you are a great Jamaican company,” Jean Lowrie-Chin replied.

More reactions:

“There are probably as many light skin Jamaicans as there are dark skin, just travel to some of the rural parishes and you’ll be amazed. This narrative that brown people experience some imaginary privilege is delusional, insulting and tired. It’s really just insecurity n projection,” one @nateshonz tweeted.

Cafe Blue’s virtual nightmare began last Thursday (December 30), when the company posted it was accepting applications for supervisors, chefs, servers and cashiers.

What was immediately noticed by Jamaican Twitter was the imagery used—depicting a lighter skin tone for supervisors and dark skin for the ‘regular’ line staff—sparking accusations Cafe Blue was perpetuating colourism stereotypes in the workplace.

The tweet was deleted shortly after Our Today contacted Cafe Blue’s parent company, Coffee Traders Limited, which directed our news team to its Twitter direct messages (DMs).

A request for comment, submitted on Friday, remains unanswered up to press time.

• Related article: Cafe Blue accused of ‘colourism’ as Jamaican Twitter reacts to latest job listings