Coffee shop apologises for 'happily gentrifying the neighbourhood' sign

A coffee shop in America has apologised for a sign that glorified gentrification in a neighbourhood that historically had predominantly black inhabitants.

Ink! Coffee in Denver, Colorado, erected an A-board outside its store which read “Happily gentrifying the neighbourhood since 2014."

The back of the board read "Nothing Says Gentrification Like Being Able To Order A Cortado.”

The sign sparked outrage on social media after images were posted on Twitter.

Customers threatened to boycott the company and encouraged others to do the same.

Adam Cayton-Holland write: “ F*** you! Consider yourself boycotted.

Another wrote: " Hey #Denver, & #Aspen want to know where NOT to get your tall over priced soy whatever this is it. @inkcoffee”

Ben Semisch wrote: “How tone deaf do you have to be to consider that a good advertisement?”

Ink! Coffee which has 16 shops across the capital city and Aspen, displayed the sign outside Larimer Street in Five Points.

This area has a large population of African Americans similar to other parts of Denver.

In recent years Denver has seen a large influx of white and affluent people move to the area, which has driven black, ethnic minority and working class people from their homes.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) asked the coffee shop to remove its sign.

In an email obtained by The Denver Post, Rosemary Lytle, President of the organisation wrote: “"Your sign ... has been flagged as mocking of and hurtful to those, especially African Americans and other [People of Colour], who have been forced to surrender their homes and businesses to deep pocket gentrification efforts in Denver’s central/downtown communities”.

Responding to the backlash on Twitter, Ink! Coffee wrote: "Hmmm. We clearly drank too much of our own product and lost sight of what makes our community great. We sincerely apologise for our street sign.

"Our (bad) joke was never meant to offend our vibrant and diverse community. We should know better. We hope you will forgive us."

On Wednesday Ink! Coffee had disabled its Facebook reviews section, however by that point its rating had dropped to 1.6 stars.

Many people didn't view the apology as enough.

Since then, the founder of the company Keith Herbert has posted a further apology on Twitter.

He wrote: He said; “I am embarrassed to say that I did not fully appreciate the very real and troubling issue of gentrification, and I want to sincerely apologise to those who understand firsthand the hardship and cultural consequences that gentrification has caused in the Five Points neighbourhood, throughout the City and County of Denver in communities throughout our state.”