The short video, filmed in downtown San Diego, shows a man eventually identified as Sunnyboy Biscuit Company proprietor Gabriel Ferguson laying on his horn repeatedly behind a car that was ultimately revealed to be stalled. Following the urging of a bystander filming the scene, Ferguson eventually backed up and sped around the vehicle. The interaction was relatively brief and completely nonviolent - an audible annoyance at most - yet that hasn’t stopped the internet from transforming what appeared to be a momentary lapse in judgment into a campaign of public shaming.
Once Ferguson was identified as the driver, the online outrage began to snowball. Negative reviews flooded Yelp and Google, his personal and business Instagram pages were hit with hostile comments, and some even encouraged people to disrupt his restaurant by parking outside and honking in protest. Despite Yelp listing Sunny Boy as "temporarily closed," the restaurant remains open and continues to serve its loyal community.
Although he has been trying to avoid the aggressive backlash, Ferguson has expressed deep remorse, writing: "I can’t believe I was such an asshole. And such a complete idiot. It's really embarrassing to see that I could act like that. I completely misunderstood the situation and was frustrated about having an incredibly challenging day. I was not a good person in this moment. I’m horrified at my inexcusable behavior. I’m so so so sorry that anyone would have to witness this. I’m so sorry."
While the internet was quick to condemn, it has been slower to consider the context - or the person. Gabriel Ferguson is a longtime hospitality veteran who founded Sunnyboy Biscuit Company in 2019, drawing on a family tradition of comfort food rooted in a small-town Washington diner run by his grandmother. The restaurant has become a neighborhood favorite for scratch-made Southern biscuits and warm, welcoming service.
Internet virality has a way of magnifying minor moments into major scandals, often with little regard for context. In this case, a brief flash of frustration - evidently misdirected in the moment - has now sparked an exponentially greater wave of misdirected outrage. It's a familiar pattern: the internet rarely aims its fury upward at institutions or power structures truly deserving of scrutiny, instead focusing on regular individuals who simply had a bad day. What's lost in the noise is the human capacity for accountability, and the opportunity for empathy. We all fall short sometimes. The question is whether we allow each other the space to own our mistakes - and to move forward with a bit more understanding.
Sunny Boy Biscuit Company remains open at 3749 Park Boulevard in San Diego's North Park/Hillcrest.
Originally published on June 9, 2025.
