- Mr. Day’s signs in the Chloe Building above Skillet Diner (click to enlarge).
From the electronic mailbag:
I put large signs about The Skillet Diner in my window.
Why?
I live above them. They have been unreasonably loud ever since their launch, especially outside of their operating hours. Garbage/janitor carts rolling up and down the sidewalk, music playing loudly after
business hours with their doors and windows open, night staff yelling at 4AM or the daily 6AM deliveries on hydraulic hand carts that sound like robots fucking. They have made small concessions over time, but
they are only interested in doing the absolute bare minimum necessary to avoid lease violations.People should know that The Skillet is just another typical American business whose concern for its surroundings are only feigned in the interest of their bottom line. As a resident in this neighborhood, I
shouldn’t have to do anything this crazy to get the same common fucking courtesy that I give to everyone else as a healthy member of society. Legal or not, I don’t just do whatever I want if I think it will really bother someone, because I’M NOT A FUCKING ASSHOLE. Drunk people screaming while they stumble up Union doesn’t wake me up, but The Skillet does. As far as I can tell, they don’t give a fuck, so fuck them.
The rest of Mr. Joel Day’s email—and Skillet Diner’s response—after the jump.
I do sympathize with their workers, though. Carrying bags of garbage instead of dragging them up the sidewalk or cleaning without some background music is really, really difficult. Maybe they just aren’t
paid very much. Actually I’m quite fucking certain that they aren’t paid very much. Maybe their staff deserve to get a little bit of Bacon Jam money in exchange for making the little extra effort required to not wake me up. If that’s the true cost of running the business properly, well I guess that’s just tough fucking shit, now isn’t it?Here’s some copy for those smaller bits:
“BE GLAD YOU LIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING.”
“WE STILL PLAY OUR MUSIC AFTER WE’VE CLOSED SO YOU CAN ENJOY IT AS
MUCH AS WE DO.”
“MONTHS OF DRILLING NOISES AT 7AM. TWO FREE SLIDERS AND SOME PASTA.”
“WE <3 CHLOE RESIDENTS! NOT REALLY, WE JUST WANT YOUR MONEY.”
“NOW OFFERING 4 AM WAKEUP SERVICE.”
“INCONVENIENCES ARE AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY OF RUNNING A RESTAURANT IN
A MIXED-USE BUILDING. MARJORIE MUST HAVE MAGICAL STEALTH POWERS.”Who knows, maybe I’ll print some new signs, like “PRETENTIOUSNESS
MEETS OBESITY AT THE SKILLET.” or “15 DOLLAR BURGER TASTES LIKE SHIT
IN YOUR MOUTH.”I DON’T KNOW. I HAVE SO MUCH INK LEFT IN THIS PRINTER.
Skillet Diner’s Josh Henderson, apprised of Mr. Day’s email to The Stranger, seemed very familiar with his complaints. Henderson said by phone that when the restaurant first opened a couple months ago, the bakers were playing music early in the morning, and that this is no longer the case.
“I don’t even know what to say,” he said. “We’re a pretty small restaurant that operates within our hours… we didn’t anticipate our restaurant being able to be heard through the wall… at this point we’ve done everything we can. I spoke to the building manager—we’re at a loss.”
“It’s not a dance club,” Henderson said, “it’s just a restaurant that plays music during operating hours that is in no way excessive.”
@28: “So, who’s the shitty renter, here? The suggestion that *I* should have to move anywhere is absurd.”
YES, you should. you’re renting. if you owned the property, that would be a different story.
@8 & @17:
Despite a few attempts, I have yet to successfully purchase a meal from Skillet, mobile or fixed. I think they might actually make a point of hiring the most logic-impaired halfwits on the planet.
My most recent attempt involved a mobile Skillet installation and KEXP event. I was ravenously hungry, and they were sold out of all the vegetarian options except for the herbed fries. But the fries looked delicious.
I’ll take an order of fries, please.
“Okay, but just so you know, we’re having about a 20-minute back-up.”
Even for fries? Why?
“Well, the grill space is full.”
But all I want is fries.
“It wouldn’t be fair to let anyone skip ahead.”
But I don’t want anything that requires grill space. If I did, I would happily wait for my item’s turn on the grill.
“We have to keep the numbers in order.”
But the fries are just sitting there, next to the fryer, not being made as we speak. It makes no sense to arbitrarily stick them in line behind unrelated food items on an unrelated piece of equipment.
“We’re having about a 20-minute back-up….”
Morons. “20 minutes for just fries” = “No, we do not want your money.” I can completely imagine these idiots doing ridiculous tasks in the loudest possible way at 3AM and believing in their souls that the noise is “unavoidable.”
Meanwhile, I’ve given up trying to ever actually taste their food.
@51: Way to miss a point entirely.
Skillet is a renter too. And therefore responsible for respecting, within reason, its fellow renters’ right of quiet enjoyment. As is the landlord who rents to them both.
…And Kesh @36 is now my personal hero!
I love how self-absorbed hipsters living on the quiet side streets that still comprise the vast majority of Capitol Hill like to style themselves experts on city living and city noise. Only the most callow transplant would believe that 24/7 disturbance is or should be a part of the urban contract.
There’s a big difference between ambient urban noise and willful disturbances.
I live on a major commercial street and center of urban nightlife. There are few parts of the wafting urban soundscape — conversation fragments, (non-loitering) drunken revelry, street cleaners, poster-stapling, etc. — that I don’t appreciate or at least tolerate. (Most of you quiet-street hipsters would probably hate living here.)
But when a pair of 18-year-old fake homeless-for-the-summer-and-for-the-story pseudo-troubadour dipshits started “busking” outside my window every night until 3AM a few weeks back, I called the fucking cops on them. Inconsiderate dumbassery isn’t “urban.” It’s just bullshit.
“To play music during business hours is fine, but after closing or early at 5AM on a Sunday morning with doors and windows open just so that your cleaning job is more enjoyable, yet wakes hard working tentants whom work in order to afford such a rent, is disrespectful and negligent.”
As a renter in this building I want to say this is definitely something I’ve seen walking past.
I think sometimes people attack the original poster and are not thinking together. It is true Skillet plays music in the morning before they open with the doors open and I’m sympathetic with anyone who sees this happening.
“To play music during business hours is fine, but after closing or early at 5AM on a Sunday morning with doors and windows open just so that your cleaning job is more enjoyable, yet wakes hard working tentants whom work in order to afford such a rent, is disrespectful and negligent.”
As a renter in this building I want to say this is definitely something I’ve seen walking past.
I think sometimes people attack the original poster and are not thinking together. It is true Skillet plays music in the morning before they open with the doors open and I’m sympathetic with anyone who sees this happening.
I am glad I read this. I have considered renting here. Now, I will not. I am shocked at how the building management does not care at all, and suggested them to move. That is ridiculous! They were there first, this problem could be solved by some sound dampening material on the ceiling IN THE LEAST. I would assume that this is a good example of how Chloe would assist in any needs of their tenants. Pathetic.
Mr. Day…
I feel unhappy if when I sleep till 11am that the maintenance guys at my place mow the lawn at 9am, like… It makes me very unhappy and grumbly. I could only imagine how your existence must suck right now. I really hope you find some resolve in this.
I think the way he’s going about this is working quite well. We’re all commenting about it, aren’t we? We’re all paying attention to it, if only for a few moments, aren’t we? It’s quite common to voice complaint after complaint after complaint to the cops and get to response, but he’s taking it public so that the public at large is informed of it. If I hadn’t read this, I wouldn’t know they’re shitty tenants with shitty landlords. I wouldn’t know they’re some hipster ‘gotta be seen on the scene’ kinda joint. Get a video camera with a time/date stamp, and start recording EVERY infraction you are present for. That helps, as well, because you have documented visual proof. If he moved, as so many ‘gee, the answer is as simple as I am’ idiots suggest he do, whomever moves in there after him would quite likely have the same complaints. Him moving doesn’t solve the problem, except for HIM.
43 is 100% correct. As an interior designer myself, I know what soundproofing goes into a QUALITY building. The Chloe cut costs here if this is what is happening. Mr. Day should not be able to hear the occasional drunk or siren if this truly is a building of quality construction.
Having worked at restaurants through college, I know that it is quite possible to receive food delivery with minimal sound, and the music turns down and windows & doors close at 10pm. Period.
So:
The Skillet- shut up. Reasonable city noise does NOT include
early morning robot sex.
Joel- have you talked to the building management about the poor sound proofing?
The Chloe: glad I’m not renting from you. Contact your architect for sound improvement for your tenants. Show some respect to those who are paying you.
I think all Joel really needs to do it print up and flypaper Skillet’s multiple health code violations. That’d do the trick.
Just walked to Eltanas bagels from this building and the hydraulic cart was being used at 6:30 am… ouch!
@19 http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2010/0…
“…ticket the hell out of the damn girls who are screaming all the time outside my window at 2AM.”
Why is this so hard for you? People yell throughout the city every night. Do you have a problem with city living? Maybe you should just move to Woodenville.
Are you sure you actually own The Chloe? I thought the clearly substantial entity known as “14TH & UNION LLC” did.