Shopkeeper’s sign said he’d charge $10 more if you don’t speak English

CLIFTON — The owner of a knife-sharpening shop is offering an apology on his answering machine for putting a sign in the window saying he'd charge an extra $10 to anyone who didn't speak English.

"Speak English or pay $10 extra" read the sign Dave Feinberg placed in the window of his Clifton store, called Cutters Edge. The sign caught the attention of Facebook user Aseal Nassarm, who began a social media shaming campaign encouraging people to call and leave negative reviews on Google.

"Racism is in our backyard but as a community we can drive them out, one at a time. Racism is NOT welcomed in the state of NJ. Take your bags and move south," Nassar wrote on Facebook. Screenshots of his Facebook post were also circulated widely on Twitter, Instagram and the New Jersey subreddit.

Calling the shop's number gets you an apology from the store.

"We are sincerely, I mean very sincerely apologizing for our message we left in our front window a couple weeks ago. Please accept our apology," said the message.

Feinberg told NorthJersey.com he posted the sign about two weeks ago, after getting frustrated waiting on a customer who did not speak English. After a picture of the sign showed up on Twitter, his phone began to ring continuously when he reopened on Tuesday, Feinberg told NorthJersey.com. Many of the callers who left messages have been "quite vulgar,"  Feinerg told NorthJersey.com.

He told NorthJersey.com he took the sign down by Tuesday afternoon, regretted putting the sign up, and never charged the surcharge it promised.

Posts about the sign have started appearing on several other social media accounts and in Facebook groups:

Feinberg had at least one prominent supporter: Passiac mayor Hector Lora, who told NBC 4 New York he is against the "cancel culture" of closing down a business because of a disagreement over a belief.

Lora said although he doesn't like the sign, he favors people speaking English in the United States.

Feinberg and Lora have not yet returned phone calls from New Jersey 101.5.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ