Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) There are certainly many people looking to vent their frustrations at some of the big changes that have happened in Washington over the past few days. So, they dial up the White House – or the number they thought was the White House’s.
Instead, some are getting a modest Dupont Circle sandwich shop on the other end of the line, thanks to an erroneous tweet.
“Somebody tweeted our phone number as the number to call the White House,” Bub and Pop’s co-owner Arlene Wagner told WMAL. Her number is just one digit off from President Trump’s residence. She said they’ve been getting 40 or 50 calls a day for the past few days – but she doesn’t necessarily mind it.
“We’ve been telling them it’s the wrong number. Some people hang up right away,” she said But after a while, she started getting curious about the callers themselves.
“We started telling them, ‘if you don’t mind, would you tell us why you’re calling?’ And people were really, really talking.”
Callers have wanted to complain about everything from the Affordable Care Act going away to some of President Trump’s cabinet picks, she said. Another man from California wanted specifically to talk to her after seeing the story on the news.
Most people didn’t necessarily need to reach the White House, she said, but instead just wanted someone to talk to. Wagner was happy to be that person.
“I think that people are just calling because they want to be heard, and they want to vent,” she said. “Most people, if they’re really upset, just want somebody to listen.”
However, like any savvy businessperson, she has sensed the marketing opportunity that comes with such accidental notoriety.
“I’ve given them the name of the restaurant. Sometimes I tell them to check our Yelp reviews, or google us (if they’re ever in D.C.),” she said.
But no matter how much of a nuisance the constant calls may become, she can never ignore them.
“It could be a sandwich order, right? It could be someone wanting a Pop’s Beef Brisket!”
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (photo: Steve Burns)
