08/21/2025

How to Deliver a Good, Strong Apology

Skipping an apology can erode trust

A recent event in my community was a reminder that most companies (and people) don’t know how to apologize—and that has repercussions. A restaurant opened nearby with the aim of serving the vegan community. Soon after opening, several patrons found out that the restaurant was using nonvegan ingredients in some of its recipes. The owners promised to fix the situation, closed for a few days for “renovations,” and then reopened. No mention was made on any of their social media channels of the incident that led to the closure.

This approach has created a breach of trust, and social media groups for vegans in this town, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this new establishment closed before long. That would be a shame, because it is hard to open a restaurant aimed at a specific community and to succeed.

I understand why the owners acted as they did. Only a small number of people found out about the problem initially, and I’m sure that they did not want to frighten the entire community by admitting that they had done something wrong. As a result, they hid the reason for their closure, fixed the problem quickly, and opened again.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.