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."