PALM DESERT, Calif. — Everyone loves chocolate, right?
Not in the areas comprising the Coachella Valley in California this week.
The Firebirds have issued a chocolate boycott to their fans in the area as they take on the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup Finals.
The team's mascot, Fuego, went so far as to destroy candy bars in hopes of "melting the competition."
The Firebirds posted a video on social media showing the bird mascot melting down Crunch bars and M&Ms. It was a big misstep, as those candies are made by Mars, not Hershey.
The move by the Firebirds has gotten Bears fans riled up. Some fans replied to the post, "Fail..... Mars is Hershey's competition!"
A candy maker in the Coachella Valley has gotten on board with the "chocolate boycott."
Brandon Weimer, owner of Brandini Toffee, is running a promotion for fans in the desert. He set up a chocolate take back.
If fans bring a Hershey's chocolate bar to Acrisure Arena, they can trade it in for a two ounce bag of Brandini Toffee popcorn.
"We are maybe the only chocolate provider here in the Coachella Valley. So we will be leaning into our popcorn roots of toffee popcorn for the foreseeable future," Weimer said.
Brandini Toffee does have a south central Pennsylvania touch. The company uses Snyder's of Hanover pretzels for toffee dipped pretzel treats.
Toffee Tour | Brandini Toffee shows off candy making process
Weimer hopes people in the Hershey and surrounding area will give his candies a try.
"We appreciate the rivalry. We're happy to welcome the Bears here in Palm Springs and we look forward to the great series," Weimer said.
The company ships its toffee across the country.