Comments

1
Actually, I think I uploaded a pic of him that weekend.

That said there was little bus service then, thanks to Big Bertha, so dbFest travel was not that easy
2
I think the real scandalous story here is Morello's jumping straight from PS to PSSS status. What the fuck is with the blatant disregard for the rules of grammar!?! SSSgate.
3
For a dude who claims to treat his workers so well, Meinert's employees sure seem a little stressed out. "‘Nobody should have to deal with this" indeed!
4
so what are the odds that he reserved the back room at the 5 spot and simply got confused?
5
Bonus points if the bouncer said "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me."
6
Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert. Fuck Dave Meinert.
7
And here I thought the $15 Now people would avoid Meinert's establishments entirely (....Jess Spear and her tip penalty stance was a part of editorials between Spear and Meinert published here).
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…
8
The owner and his staff should all be shot. ALL POWER TO THE SOVIETS!
9
Wouldn't the anti anti-worker thing to do be to avoid all Dave Meinert restaurants while in Seattle? Morello, vote with your wallet dude, you almost gave the evil empire a whole posse's worth of per diem. Blaming the doorman (clearly the proletariat in the pile) is a weak move too.
10
Chris Cornell would have gotten in.
11
@6
What?!!

Dave Meinert is the new style of Rock Star! Like Dave Segal, Ansel Herz and the rest, they don't need instruments or microphones. They have their typing fingers and grand brains to to get an audience into the groove
12
One bartender, One waiter.

Sorry, David Meinert, but that's kind of a prick move to be so understaffed on such a busy weekend. Where was your ass?
13
One bartender and waitress on duty on a Saturday night? During Decibel fest? Seriously?

Yeah Morello comes off as an asshole prima donna, but I'm with Doug @3: I think the stressed out/inadequate staff should be a big part of this story.
14
"No one should have to deal with this." - truly the words of someone with a pro-worker employer.
15
So, what we appear to have here is a major pissing match between two giant egos: I wouldn't be in the least surprised if Morello & his entourage showed up at Meinert's establishment precisely because they were aware of his anti-15Now stance (hey, it's not like he's been exactly shy about it in the media, amIright?), and was hoping to provoke some kind of confrontation. The fact that Meinert is apparently so miserly as to put only one bartender and one wait person on-shift on what he must surely have surmised would be a very busy Saturday evening (since, you know, he's so plugged into the local music scene - I mean, he MUST know about Decibel-Fest, yes?), was just sort of icing on the cake.
16
Story I heard was that Morello never even talked, the locals in his group saw friends with empty seats at a table, and the door guy wouldn't let them sit, or even talk, with them.
17
And of course Meinert hss never played primadonna for free publicity, never.
18
They say they are pro worker, yet "I came inside to check on the bartender a couple of times and found him in the closet leaning against the wall, saying, ‘Nobody should have to deal with this.’ There was only one bartender and one waitress on that night."
19
They claim proworker, but " I came inside to check on the bartender a couple of times and found him in the closet leaning against the wall, saying, ‘Nobody should have to deal with this.’ There was only one bartender and one waitress on that night."
20
"Does the owner like Rage Against the Machine?"

"...in the '90s?!!"
21
Umm, everyone here is wrong - there is a back room at the 5 Point. If Morello wanted to jiggle his wee wee while staring at the needle, then let the dude in!
22
The 5-Point does have a special room. I was conceived in it over sixty years by a young, rather pretty waitress and a Navy man based at Pier 91....or so the story was told.
23
Actually, I can't really say if the 5-Point has a special room or not these days. I haven't been in the place for over sixty years.
24
So because the 5 Point won't give service to a millionaire rock and roll guy that means they are "anti-worker"? GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK! I would have kicked that asshole Morelo out just for asking for "special treatment."
And he also has zero talent as a guitarist. Just a bunch of simple sets with wacky sound effects.
25
@24

Tl, dr, move already.
27
There is no back room at the Five Point. I've never seen a doorman there either.

Either Morello is confused, stupid, insane, or most likely, all three.
28
How is this news?
29
If Meinert had been working the door, Morello could've walked right in.
30
Im with the guys who say the real story here is dave meinert not knowing howmto staff his establishment. I dont give two shits about to tom morello, but i still think meinert comes out looking the worst in this non story.
31
Someone I know is a cook at Lost Lake, another place Mr. Meinert owns on Cap Hill. While they do get benefits many service industry folks don't (decent hourly pay/paid sick days/paid vacation days if pre-approved and such) they are consistently understaffed and the employees are always stressed out. It's seldom not busy, and during event weekends, there are lines way out the door down the block. There are never more than 4 cooks on duty and 2-3 is most usual (only 3 fit comfortably cramped in the small kitchen) and there is often only 1 cook on duty. I have no feelings of condemnation for the man, but maybe he should consider spending a few more bucks on staffing before opening/obtaining more places. It's absurd that there was only a doorman and two people (1 bartender, 1 waitress) on front of house on ANY Saturday night at 5 Point. As far as Mr.Morello goes: he could have politely waited in line like everyone else. He chose to act like a pompous ass and therefore was treated like one.
32
I was there. The version of events put out by the 5-point is a complete fabrication. The doorman was a complete jackass, especially to the females in our party. There was NO line at the door. No one had a problem with being denied entry because the place was full. No one was drunk. No one asked for a private room (a few of us in the party are 5-point regulars and know full well there is no private room there). One of the women with us simply asked to go please speak with someone we could see inside and the doorman was completely abusive towards her. The 5-point got their version out to the media first so now Tom Morello sounds like a dick, when in fact he is one of the most humble down-to-earth people you will ever meet. Lying doorman, and Meinert is using this as yet another publicity stunt to generate business, his specialty.
33
@31: Interesting post, especially since Dave Meinert claimed here on SLOG during the $15 minimum wage debate that "closing a place like Lost Lake will mean 115 jobs lost."

When called on it, he later admitted that "it was 115 over the summer, now in January it's only 91."

But your story (and Eric Roach's quotes) regarding understaffing makes me wonder what the true number is.

Meinert paints himself as this benevolent small business owner creating good jobs for the community, but more and more is coming out that puts that in doubt.
34
It kind of reminds me of Meinert and that other guy in the Proposition 1 Shovegate where Meinert stood in the way in the doorway and then said he was pushed by the other guy.
35
We go to 5 point all the time. I'm pretty sure there's a notice on every wall and the menus that says they don't serve rude people.

I'm very nice to big bearded guy who knows my order without me asking. :)
36
@33 (DOUG) - I just asked my wife. She said there is at the absolute maximum 35-40 people on staff, including servers, busers, bartenders, dishwashers, cooks, everyone, and MANY of those only work a few shifts a week, some only one shift. And remember, Lost Lake is a 24/7 place with no holiday closures. The place seats 140, not including the bar area which they sometimes open back up after bar closure (between last call and 6 am) for more seating. Interesting indeed.
37
It is abusive to your employees to under- staff your bar or restaurant or retail store or any public establishment. For a place like the 5 Point to only staff one bartender and one waitress in the bar on Decibel Festival weekend is abuse of your employees, and shows that you don't care much about them, OR your customers, for that matter. That weekend was busy EVERYWHERE in town, and I can imagine the scene at 5 Point. Very harsh treatment of people who are making money for you, Meinert.
38
Some folks seem to be defending Morello's actions because they don't like Meinert, and the event gives them a trash-talk opportunity. I'm no fan of Meinert. One thing's clear to me: Morello was being a dick . . . to the worker for chrissake!
39
For the record, I don't have any problems with Mr. Meinert. I don't know the man from Adam. Fact: his places serve up good food in fun atmospheres, his employees are well compensated relative to the industry...some of his places just need a few more employees so they aren't so stressed. The only real "facts" we know about this incident is a faded rock star got into it with an irritated doorman and the restaurant is getting a little free publicity out of it. I'd bet on any given afternoon either man would be lovely to talk to over a cup of coffee. The rock star should not have tweeted about it in the first place...it seems he did so ONLY because of the minimum wage issue.
40
I was there. Tom Morello never demanded any rock star treatment. He very much struck me as having quite the opposite of the entitled rock star persona people are making him out to have. It was late at night and we had been looking for a restaurant for far too long when we ended up at The Five Point. There was no line that we "cut." Nobody asked for a private room...who would think there was one? Seriously, does that really sound likely? Nobody demanded preferential treatment. When the doorman said the restaurant was at max capacity we were okay with the answer being no. We took it like anyone hungry would. I noticed my friends were inside by the entrance, so I went up closer to say something to them when the doorman said I couldn't talk to them through the open door. Apparently that is against the fire code, too? I don't know if he was stressed out or what but we found it to be just plain rude and unnecessary. That was the turning point when things got sour. This restaurant has a reputation of rude employees and the owner tried to water down $15 an hour. If only there were more late night restaurants to choose from in that area-then I may not have failed so badly on the finding food front. Maybe then this mess wouldn't have happened. Say what you will, internet. Misinterpret this event and all the jokes he has cracked during this whole thing. I actually saw what happened and at the end of the night he played a benefit show for free, picked up the check, and was humble. Seems like people who have met actually him have nothing but nice things to say. 5 Point - thanks for smearing us and milking this story for business. Don't believe everything you hear or see, Seattle.
41
If the Five Point was any good they'd have a strict "no rock stars allowed ever under any circumstances" policy. Movie stars neither. Authors on a case by case basis (i.e., Malcolm Gladwell can suck a bone).
42
Fuck him! Let him wait like everyone else does. He's not anyone important, if Obama shows up uninvited I'm sure they would do the same, I'm sorry sir, but we're full at this moment, go take a monorail ride on us and we'll have your table ready in 45 min. Who the fuck is tom morello anyway?
43
@31 & @33 interesting indeed. I know another of Mr. Meinert's employees who said Lost Lake was looking for staff but a condition of being hired was you have either no political interests or not be involved in the $15.00 movement. that employee also experiences work stress from under staffing. But honestly that is more common in the service industry than not. Also, cooks wages at lost lake are nothing extra ordinary and you can be sure that come January the benefits will change and not for the better.

Since I don't know Mr. Meinert I neither like nor dislike him. That being said, it is abundantly clear that he says one thing but practices another. The other matter is Mr. Meinert's position on $15.00. He is for it as long as his customers subsidizes those wages with a tip credit.

I wonder how long the doorman will have a job now that the secret of how overworked and stressed Meinert's employees really are.

"No one should have to deal with this." Interesting indeed!
44
@40,

23 Coins is less than a mile away. And it was your group that took this to social media in the first place.

As for Meinert's employees being rude? Yeah, they are. To assholes. The Meinert empire's zero tolerance policy toward shitty customers is probably the only reason I have some respect for him.

American customers are garbage.
46
@45
Now I'm really confused. The 15 Now performer went there anyways after being informed they were patronizing a place that was against their movement, and there were a bunch of other $15 Now-ers already seated with enough room at their tables (in a place near capacity) to fold in an "entourage."

Something stinks, and it's not just the weak "boycott Meinert" resolve.
47
Now if only both of them were wearing Google Glass...
48
Tom Morello? Didn't he play drums for Dave Brubeck?

:)
49
First, how is this news and not celebrity gossip and second everyone in this story sounds like self-entitled pieces of shit.

PSSSSSS Are there any cool cities on the west coast to live in anymore? Seattle's been overrun by assholes.
50
Ironically after not getting the rockstar a decade ago treatment Morello felt he deserved he went to IHOP which is owned by Dinequity, a huge national corp. So he calls the local small business that offers benefits & supports raising the minimum wage "anti-worker" & asks his fans to "spread the word" with a clear intent to damage said small business and by extension it's employee, but then goes to IHOP and lauds them on Twitter even though they are owned by Dinequity, a company that is fighting any min wage increase nationwide along with donating to other ass backward GOP candidates & causes. Seems like Morello's anti-worker concern extends only so far as his ego allows it, what an ignorant, entitled, a**hole.
51
@43 said:
"I know another of Mr. Meinert's employees who said Lost Lake was looking for staff but a condition of being hired was you have either no political interests or not be involved in the $15.00 movement."


Now that's so over the top as an accusation I would ask the Stranger to investigate it. Is this illegal if true in WA?
52
no wonder de la rocha can't work with that jackass.
53
@ 49, I don't see why you'd have a problem with that.
54
@45, thank you! Morello's FB followup is so comically lame. The intimation of racism is an unexpected treat, but what surprises most is a guy who presumably came up in clubs being unable to see how ON EARTH he might have put himself on the doorman's "Oh hell no" list. His words:
He said they were at capacity and it would probably be a 10min wait. No problem. Then ten people or so left the restaurant. "Can we come in now? Those people just left." No. "Why?" I'm not letting anyone in. "Wait a second. Are you at capacity or are you not letting anyone in?" I'm not letting you in. "So you're no longer at capacity but we can't come in?" No. "Um ok. How about we order take out and sit at one of these 20 empty tables outside?" No. "Ok what's really going on here dude? Some of us have traveled a long way. He's from Kenya! I'm from the 90's!" I'm not letting you in. "Say, is your manager here? Maybe he's a Rage Against The Machine fan? He might even raise your pay to $15 an hour!" More people leave the restaurant. It's clearly under capacity. Then our friends see that inside the restaurant several tables are occupied by friends of ours from 15Now. "Hey look we don't even need a table. We'll just join our friends who are already inside?" No. "Really? Why not?" I'm not letting you in. "Can we just go TALK to them and see if they have room for us?" No.
55
That stock photo sure came in handy.
56
Tom Morello will probably end up doing a better job of driving people away from 15 Now than people think Sawant ever could. This whole thing makes me almost tempted to try the 5 Point for the first time. Almost.
57
Seems to me both parties are acting like idiots. Except the bouncer, he was just doing his job and in the interview did not try to smear Tom's name even though he was publicly called a prick. I think Morello does a lot of great work and has for a long time. IHOP though? I would rather see him support locally owned businesses. Whatever though, his money he can spend it however he likes.
58
@46:

Unfortunately, of the three 24 hour joints in close proximity to El Corazon (I assume The Hurricane has already closed), two are owned by Meinert, and the third, 13 Coins, isn't exactly noted for being conducive to large parties of sweaty, post-concert musicians. So, what's a hungry rock-and-roller to do?

Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet and dance with the devil...
59
COMTE: The Hurricane, last I heard, is open through the rest of 2014. But a lot of people think it's already closed, so it's probably not crowded.
60
Gadzooks, what a prima donna dick.....
61
I like the 5 Point. Good food, stiff drinks, great prices. I don't know this individual doorman but I'll second the motion that there are some genuinely mean, unpleasant people employed there. I'll still go because bad customer service isn't enough to offset $2.50 quesadillas, but none of this surprises me at all.
62
5 points cafe serves a their house special only on the weekdays. Their house special!! That is all I am going to say.
63
if it was so busy, why the hell would they have only one waitress and one bartender? it shouldn't be a surprise how busy they would be considering it was decible fest.
64
Why would 5-Point only have one bartender and one waitress on staff during decible fest? It shouldnt' be a surprise how busy it can get considering how many people attend the event.
65
All the incentive I needed to get a CFS at 5 Point tonight.
66
The fact that they treat everyone the same at the 5-Point is PRECISELY why I go there.
67
As noted in Meinert's response: "We try to pay more than any other small restaurant, and on top of the higher pay, we offer health insurance, paid sick days, paid time off, retirement and profit share." Too bad the article didn't expand on this relative to his stance on 15Now. Dick's Drive In has consistently offered similar employee benefits with the addition of tuition help and that establishment is also dubious about 15Now...so is Dick's Drive In also douche bag worthy?! It's not a black and white issue. There are considerations for businesses that have done more and want to keep doing more for their employees than a simple across the board $15/hour may accomplish. The flat tax debate springs to mind here....point being no, this event itself is really not news worthy....the issue of flat $15/hour now is and too bad the article didn't give more sophisticated focus on nuances of the issue based on the opportunity of this event.
68
And again, the four or five $15 NOW bullies sit in their office attacking Dave Meinert. First of all, I'm sure the bartender was referring to the Decibel Fest crowd when saying "No one should have to deal with this". Just as many bartenders in the Capitol Hill corridor on an insane Saturday night, or down in Pioneer Square after a game because IT"S HARD WORK! But guess why they do it? THE TIPS. Which, instead of $150 before tax if they were making $15/hr - is more like $300 after taxes. The people that work there love it, because they can treat assholes like the assholes they are without getting fired for it (because their boss defends and sticks up for them). Of course there are testimonies from obvious $15 NOW activists that "were there" that night...but WHY were they there? This is the question. And the tweet was the lamest thing ever.

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