WASHINGTON (WDCW) – A Washington D.C.-based pizza chain has removed a new dessert item from the menu after it stirred controversy in the community, with some leaders even calling for boycotts. The chain, &pizza, had been selling a dessert it called "Marion Berry Knots," with its name being an apparent reference to former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry. The campaign surrounding the dessert also included drug references and innuendos that poked fun at Barry, who was at the center of a crack cocaine possession scandal in the 1990s. “These knots will blow you away,” reads a message on a promotional photo for the fruit-filled pastries — with an emphasis on the word “blow.” Other advertising efforts played up the amount of powdered sugar sprinkled over the dessert. Specifically, a press release indicated there was enough powdered sugar to "even force the DEA to look twice." McDonald’s E. coli outbreak: Why only the Quarter Pounder was linked Cora Masters Barry, Barry's wife, told Nexstar's WDCW that &pizza never contacted her about the name of the dessert, and called it “racist and disrespectful.” “I just think it’s racist," she told WDCW Monday. "In this city, it is outrageously racist. You can print that. It’s racist and disrespectful." Marion Berry Knots at &pizza (BML Public Relations)Marion Berry Knots at &pizza (BML Public Relations)Marion Berry Knots at &pizza (BML Public Relations) In response to the controversy, &pizza CEO Mike Burns doubled down the same day, saying, “We’re talking about a marionberry, that’s spelled with an ‘e.' We stuff that into a knot, drizzle it with icing and then top it with powdered sugar. It’s delicious — we can’t wait for D.C. to try it.”  Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White soon called for a boycott of the chain, saying in an Instagram post that the knots were a “shameless and tasteless exploitation of Marion S. Barry’s legacy.” D.C. At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson also called the dessert “tone deaf” and “disrespectful" on social media. After being asked about a boycott on Tuesday, Burns did not comment. By Wednesday morning, a group of activists held a press conference outside the &pizza location on U Street in D.C., where they called for people to stop spending money at the chain and demanding the item be removed from the menu. "It is a slap in the face to native Washingtonians who have been impacted by Mayor Marion Barry, and it is a slap in the face to the DMV as a whole because he created what is the DMV today," one activist said. Many D.C. natives said portraying Barry in a negative light isn't OK. "He was loved. Still loved, always will be. So these pastries that you're making, doesn't change how the people feel. It's going to change how the people feel about the business," said Barbara Dodson. Vance addresses unfounded claims of migrants eating pets at NewsNation town hall By Wednesday afternoon, Burns and &pizza changed their tune, issuing a statement apologizing for the campaign. "We hear the D.C. community and have removed the Marion Berry Knots from our menu effective immediately. Those who know the &pizza brand know we stand for philanthropy, activism and societal betterment in the communities we serve," the statement reads, in part. "While humor was our intent, it was regrettably off the mark. We’re an edgy brand known for being risk takers. The parody of the former Mayor and portrayal of substance abuse was wrong. We have read the countless messages and social media posts and understand the frustration this has brought forth — especially to the Barry family. We recognize his impact on the District and greater Capital area and understand why his legacy remains as strong as it is today." Burns ended the statement by saying the chain intends to "do better." Rev. Tony Lee, who rallied earlier in the day at the U Street location, told DC News Now that he was "happy for these first steps," but still felt more needs to be done. "When there's harm, there needs to be restoration," he said. The controversy has also prompted a competing pizza shop to take action. Wiseguy Pizza, which has several locations in the D.C. area, is donating a portion of the proceeds it makes through November to the Marion Barry Jr. Legacy Foundation. Warren Thompson, the president of the hospitality firm that operates Wiseguy Pizza, said Barry was a friend and mentor. "I hope it can start as an example of what other companies can do as well," Thompson said. "It's one thing to say, 'I'm upset. I don't agree with it.' But now, what action can be taken to make things better in the future."