Tesla Canceled a $500,000 Bakery Order, Later Paid $173,000

Tesla’s canceled order nearly bankrupted a bakery, but public support helped recover losses.

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs once played a prank during the iPhone launch. In 2007, during the launch presentation, Jobs demonstrated the phone’s calling capability by dialing a local Starbucks and saying, “I’d like 4,000 coffees.”

However, he immediately said, “Wrong number” and hung up. Amid laughter from the audience, Jobs continued his presentation, and the $20,000 order was never actually placed. This incident became a well-known story in the tech industry.

Social Media is Changing the Balance of Power

Eighteen years later, in February 2024, a similar incident occurred in San Jose, USA, involving a bakery named The Giving Pies. Tesla placed an order for 2,000 mini pies, but this order nearly drove the small bakery to bankruptcy.

The bakery’s African-American owner, Bohang Raseterinra, was thrilled to receive such a large order from a company as big as Tesla. She shared her excitement on social media, stating, “On February 14, I received an order from Tesla employee Laura for 4,000 pies. We worked overtime to fulfill the order. But on February 16, Laura messaged me, saying that Tesla no longer needed the pies.”

The bakery had already invested $500,000 to fulfill the order, turning down other customers and using up all its resources. This situation put the business on the brink of bankruptcy.

When Raseterinra shared the incident on social media, it quickly gained attention. Several news channels covered the story, and many people stepped forward to help. Long queues of customers formed outside the bakery, and the community rallied in support of the small business. Even donations started pouring in from Europe.

The controversy over Tesla canceling a small bakery’s order became a major issue. Eventually, Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, acknowledged the situation and promised support. To help recover the losses, Tesla later paid $173,000 to the bakery.