Alabama ice cream shop owner tracked down a customer over a one-star review, then things turned physical

Two owners of an Alabama ice cream shop were arrested on June 11 after tracking down a customer who had posted a one-star review of their business online. As reported by Dexerto, the incident involved Malary and Ryan Goldman, owners of a shop called The Local Scoop, and escalated from a digital dispute into a physical confrontation that resulted in criminal charges against both.

The customer, Daniel Smit, had left a one-star review citing issues with the store’s decorations, incorrect orders, and high prices that he described as a “rip off” for families. Rather than addressing the criticism professionally, the Goldmans tracked Smit down. He claimed that Malary “assaulted me, touched my torso three times” and destroyed his phone during the encounter.

During the confrontation, Malary Goldman told Smit, “I’m mad because I busted my ass at something, and you think you’re going to run it into the ground.” Both owners were taken into custody following the incident. Malary faces charges of harassment and criminal mischief, while Ryan faces a charge of harassment. Both were released shortly after their arrests.

The owners and the customer have since expressed regret over how things unfolded

Following the arrests, Malary Goldman apologized to Smit and said she was “embarrassed” by her actions. Smit, for his part, told WKRG that he was “ashamed” of the outcome. “I apologize to Miss Goldman if I made her mad or whatever,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are all going to move on from this.”

Smit said he had considered filing a lawsuit but indicated he plans to continue writing reviews for restaurants going forward. The incident drew wider attention amid broader tensions between business owners and online customer feedback, not unlike a Pittsburgh restaurant owner’s legal dispute that surfaced around the same time.

Consumers generally have the right to share opinions about their experiences under the First Amendment, and legal avenues for challenging reviews, such as defamation claims, carry a high bar. Physical retaliation or harassment offers no legal protection for a business owner. A DFW Airport dispute that ended in a customer’s arrest earlier this week is a separate reminder that restaurant confrontations can turn into police matters quickly.

Both Malary and Ryan Goldman remain charged, with Malary facing the additional count of criminal mischief on top of the harassment charge shared by both owners.