Mr. Day's signs in the Chloe Building above Skillet Diner (click to enlarge).
Mr. Days signs in the Chloe Building above Skillet Diner (click to enlarge).
  • 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.”

62 replies on “What Are Those Signs Above Skillet Diner?”

  1. I have never really felt a pressing desire to drag trash cans and scrap metal up and down the streets outside some guy’s apartment. Until now.

  2. No comment on the music or robots, but take a look at the sidewalk on Union in front of Skillet. They spilled literally a barrel of lard or grease on the sidewalk a few days after opening, and made no real effort to clean it up – I wiped up grease off the sidewalk plants in front about a week later. Ridiculous grease stained footprints are even tracked all around poor Marjorie next door.

  4. “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.”

    College kids are cute!

    This reminds me that I need to go back to Skillet ASAP for more tasty 15 dollar burgers.

  5. How are you at a loss? Seems pretty simple to me:

    The person who lives above you says you have been too loud since day 1. Work with him and figure out how to be quieter. Or let the guy out of his lease and pay for his moving expenses.

    And to the guy, stop bothering with passive-aggressive signs. Call the SPD every single time they are being too noisy. Eventually, if you aren’t making shit up, Skillet will get all sorts of fines and hassle.

  7. Ahahahaha, some people.

    I live across the hall from people who attempted to prove that they were smelling smoke in their apartment because cigarette smoke from the cafe on the 1st floor was COMING THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS. Yes.

    When you find yourself bitching that food delivery trucks don’t arrive at a time of the morning that harmonizes with your sleeping habits, it really is time to move. Or learn to use a pair of fucking earplugs.

  8. I would totally believe that Skillet is a bad neighbor. Even in your own review of the place you detail their unprofessionalism in running their food truck, and also hint at receiving preferred service after being recognized as a restaurant reviewer.

    Personally, I have waited in a line of tens of people for their food truck, only to be told after a 20 minute wait that there’s only a few burgers left (there were more than a few people ahead of me and behind me) and they will take something like a half hour to prepare.

    So I am not surprised if the manager of their diner is shrugging off complaints from neighbors.

  10. The letter writer should STFU and move.

    The correct thing for him to do is keep a log of noise complaints that are outside of their operating hours and before 7AM. He shouldn’t call the police. After a month he should submit it to the Department of Planning and Development. As far as I know, they generally enforce permitted noise ordinances. I’ve dealt with DPD multiple times about construction noise and it has always cleared up.

    The normal noise that comes with a restaurant – too bad so sad. But using hydraulic lifts at 6AM is actionable. Instead of blindly complaining and coming off as a whiner, he can learn what is acceptable and what is not.

  11. I used to live in an apartment with retail space below. For years it was a furniture store and I had no complaints whatsoever. Then they closed and a restaurant took its place. Hell on earth. I could hear everything. I complained and nothing got better. Ended up moving shortly thereafter.

  12. They charge $15 for a fucking burger AND they can’t be bothered to clean up their own sidewalk messes? Yeah, I think I’ll stick to eating at all the other, less obnoxious burger joints.

    And that guy is a pussy who needs to log his complaints or MOVE.

  13. Passive-aggressive signage aside, “…6AM deliveries on hydraulic hand carts that sound like robots fucking…” is the best line I’ve seen on Slog in some time. You guys should hire him.

  15. This guy IS a fucking asshole. I remember his last stunt when a neighbor’s dog ran through Marjorie’s open door on a hot summer day before they’d opened for the evening. Before they could usher the stray pooch back to his owner, jackass spotted this and immediately ran onto Yelp to whine about how disgusting and unsanitary they were. Oh, and he HAD VIDEO!

    Take a hint, Day. The universe is telling you to GTFO of the neighborhood.

    If only I could rate neighbors on Yelp…

  16. This guy is a pussy. Every time I have lived above retail or restaurant spaces, THEY called the cops on ME. Get drunk, get loud, or get the fuck out! What a typical American busybody.

  17. I’m with #8. Skillet makes delicious food but the stoners (at least in spirit, if not in practice) who run and staff the place are absolutely unprofessional. They shouldn’t have taken retail space in an apartment building if they couldn’t handle the extra responsibility.

    And the Chloe apartments are really fucking expensive. Move into an expensive building, expect the residents to complain. They’re paying a premium for a decent place to live.

  18. Who wants to play a game of “Liar or Idiot?” They’ve managed to be amazingly quiet since the signs went up, which only serves to validate my story. When Jeff says the restauraunt doesn’t play music after business hours, it’s because they haven’t played music after business hours *since Sunday*. They are aware of the problems and have been completely capable of improving them the entire time.

    @4 Sorry, I didn’t go to college. That would’ve been a bigger waste of money than eating at The Skillet. I don’t mind a 15 dollar burger, mind you, I just expect it to not taste like shit. It really does taste like shit. I know that’s not really relevant, it’s just that it tastes like shit. In your mouth.

    @5 Passive-aggressive is leaving a flaming dog turd at their doorstep. What’s active-aggressive, breaking their stoves? Complaining constantly to indirect entities? This, whatever you want to call it, is *working*. Months of complaints? Barely any traction. This? Instant effect. The signs took 20 minutes to make. The point is to shame them into being a good neighbor so I don’t have to waste time and energy getting them to do something they could just do on their own if they actually gave a shit.

    @9 I moved in over a year before The Skillet Diner opened. I don’t have a problem with random city noise, I have a problem with predictably obnoxious noise like music. Marjorie, which is basically equidistant to my unit, has been an excellent neighbor. Donna actively reached out to residents and made sure that they didn’t have a negative impact on anyone. The only variable in this situation is The Skillet. I shouldn’t have to go anywhere.

    @12 That’s right! I made this situation along with my full name and where I live a matter of public scrutiny, on Slog of all places, because I’m a pussy. Makes total sense.

  19. Joel,

    You are a renter. So just move and rent somewhere else or move to another unit in the building.

    Why is this so hard for you?

    Kind regards,
    Chole Building Owner

  23. My only interest in Skillet has been a mild interest in eating there but for the record not more than two weeks ago I was walking by and Mr Henderson’s assertion that: “It’s not a dance club, it’s just a restaurant that plays music during operating hours that is in no way excessive.” is either a lie or Mr. Henderson needs to be more actively involved in what goes on at his establishment after business hours. It was nearing 3 am and the music was blasting, windows open.

    I’d probably be pretty annoyed with them too.

    Then again, using the excuse of “people who move into nice buildings deserve the best!” or whatever is nonsense It’s Capitol Hill and this kind of bullshit should be expected on a semi-regular basis no matter how gentrified your fancy new apartment building is.

  24. Yeah, Mr. Day. STFU. Why on EARTH would you not be “cool and/or hip” enough to drop your entire life for a month so you can find a new place to rent, pack up all your shit and move it, then unpack it all, at your expense. The upset to your life is worth it, especially if it means saving a sacred space like the Skillet.

    Seriously though. To all the people crapping on this renter, get over yourselves! You know that one of the main reasons you’re able to say that is because it’s a lot easier to be like that when you live in your mom’s soundproofed basement.

    Even more seriously though, if I paid what Mr. Day does in rent, I’d want some fucking peace and quiet too.

    But robot sex is pretty neat….so now I’m torn.

  25. @ Joel re: comment 15: Did you know you were now doing stunts? You should charge and then you could afford to move somewhere else! DUH! Stranger commenters FTW, they solve everything!

  26. @18 You’d come across as a lot more likeable if you’d leave out the lengthy paragraph about how bad the food is. That’s not your complaint with them. Don’t talk about it. It makes you look like a douchebag.

  27. What were you hoping would happen here? That we’d all come together and boycott some shitty restaurant because they’re loud at night? That we’d sympathize? That nobody would make fun of you?

  28. Lease Violations:
    Me: 0
    The Skillet: 3, I believe.

    Other residents have complained about noise repeatedly to different parties. I feel bad for building management’s time being spent dealing with this for months while The Skillet has been so dismissive.

    So, who’s the shitty renter, here? The suggestion that *I* should have to move anywhere is absurd.

  30. Man, I could never put up with that. Capitol Hill is fun, sure, but it is so farking loud all the time. The clubs, restraurants, drunks, bars, sirens, delivery trucks, buses, screaming, parades, block parties, etc etc etc etc. I couldn’t do that. THAT’S WHY I DON’T LIVE ON CAPITOL HILL.

    perhaps something for this guy to consider?

  31. @27 Of course not.

    We’re having a nice little dialogue about the pros/cons of mixed-use development, though, aren’t we? What should a resident’s expectations be? Does a business have a responsibility to residents that transcends the bare minimum that is practically enforceable? I believe it does. I moved into the unit with the expectation that whatever business moved in below me would be respectful and that a convenient framework would be in place to make sure that expectation was fulfilled. Clearly, that framework is lacking.

  32. Oh god I hate assholes that live in the city and complain about city noise. Put a fan in your room for white noise and stop your bellyaching ya big pussy.

  33. I think Mr Day should give up and move to Carnation or perhaps Fall City, but then he’d have to put up with all the white trash having inter-family coitus. Which is worse, being subjected to shitty Seattle indie music at 1AM or the soothing moans of cousin love?

  35. @32 sorry living above loud retail is not “city noise”

    cars, drunk people, sirens — this is city noise.

    I’m 100% with this guy. Chloe has 2 options: make Skillet shut up or let the guy move and pay for all expenses.

    People have a point though, you should be taking this up with the SPD and nobody else. Many years ago I got my downstairs neighbor evicted pretty quickly by calling the cops on them daily with legitimate noise complaints that officers witnessed.

  36. @32,

    And how much city noise do you tolerate in your pseudo-suburb?

    The uniquely American attitude toward city living (that you have to suck it up and tolerate endless amounts of shit from neighbors) is precisely why few people with any sense choose to live in the city.

    The social contract requires businesses that generate noise to mitigate that noise and for the neighbors of those businesses to tolerate some noise that can’t be mitigated or controlled. Skillet is not fulfilling its end of the contract. People who live in REAL cities understand this.

  37. I’m really torn on this. If Skillet was there when he moved in, this would be a no brainer…but Skillet came second so he was blind-sided. Yes, Cap Hill is noisy…but what you expect are short-lived hoots and hollers from drunks, periodic car horns, sirens, stuff like that (unless you move next door to Neighbours or RPlace or something) not constant blaring of music and robot sex at all hours of the day and night. I agree with #35 that this is not typical city noise. Skillet should foot the bill for more sound-proofing and should keep the music and delivery noise to the absolute minimum during the wee hours. If this still doesn’t work for Mr.Day, then he should accept the fact that it is time to move since the building owner doesn’t seem to be sympathetic (probably because Skillet pays higher rent and a new tenant would have moved in AFTER Skillet and therefore be more inclined to deal with it). In the meantime, Mr. Day should take a step back and try to calm down a skosh so he won’t come off like a total nutjob and might have a chance of being taken seriously.

  38. The renter and the restaurant should be friends
    Oh, the renter and the restaurant should be friends
    One man likes to sleep at night, the other likes to serve a bite,
    But that’s no reason why they cain’t be friends..

  40. I looked at that building and maybe the same unit before I moved last year. When he moved in it was right above a gym and a dumpster, next to Chop Suey and Piecora. Skillet is just one more thing.

    Sometimes if you want a quiet apartment you have to choose the ugly, un-hip building three blocks from any bar. One where you are the youngest residents by 30+ years( and I’m 15 years older than the average CH resident). Best decision I’ve made…

  41. @40 you didn’t pay much attention to Chloe.

    Piecora’s is not part of that building. Nor is it very loud, even when they have music play next to were CC’s was. Chop Suey is by far the loudest building nearby. I’m sure it gets plenty of complaints too.

    Mode — the gym — is quiet. It’s all personal-workout stuff and I’ve never heard any music playing or seen any large classes taking place.

    The trash you’re talking about is by the garage, a good half block away from Skillet, and on the other side of the gym.

    And did you forget the other restaurant on the property? It’s been there longer than Skillet but doesn’t have this problem because a) it’s always seemed like a pretty quiet place and b) there is nothing above it.

    Skillet is in the wrong here. They opened a loud restaurant in an apartment building. It is their noise and their problem to fix it.

    I hope the original poster stops whining to the wrong people (Stranger, Chloe Leasing, Skillet) and starts contacting the only people who can help if there is a legitimate problem: the SPD.

    The Chloe leasing office will never side with the renter because I guarantee Skillet brings Chloe more exposure/money than the renter. Ignore the leasing office; it’s a losing battle if you fight it there.

  43. Sounds to me like Chloe made some cheap apartments and skipped out of sound proofing the floors and ceilings. Not Skillets fault that they moved into an awesome spot that was made poorly. Not the renters fault either. I think Skillet and renters need to join up to have something done about the sound proofing, because clearly the building is lacking. If the booming from Chop Suey across the street doesn’t bother you, the noise from Skillet definitely shouldn’t.

  44. If I lived in a new apartment building and paid 2 grand to do so, I woud expect that I would be afforded the respect and amenities for said cost. Clearly, this tenant has voiced his complaints and the restaurant has been given numerous lease violations, are making living in the community extremely stressful, to which they have feigned ignorance.

    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.

    To compare the monetary value of a restaurant to a tentant that was occupying the space prior is ridiculous. I agree with Mr. Day, “the business whose concern for its surroundings are only feigned in the interest of their bottom line” says it all.

    IMHO it would behoove “The Skillet” to consider others in it’s community and make it as pleasant as possible for those whom it shares it’s space. “The Marjorie” is a find example of how “The Skillet” should behave.

  45. I don’t know about any of this, but their music in there is annoyingly loud. It’s hard to carry on a conversation with all the kitchen noise, loud music and people talking. They could probably use some sound-dampening material on the ceiling.

    At any rate, our last meal there was kind of blech, (on top of not being able to hear eachother) so we’re probably not going back anyway.

  46. @43 has it – I toured the Chloe during one of their open houses and I was not impressed with the quality of construction, especially for the price. $1400 for a 2-bedroom and the doors are made of super flimsy plywood. I’ve always thought that kind of thing indicates poor quality of the internal construction that I can’t see.

  47. I support Joel. Be a good fucking neighbor to the people who live around your business, and you won’t have any problems. The people at Skillet are dicks if they had complaints and only stopped doing some of their crap after the signs went up. This isn’t typical city noise, and it doesn’t take a whole lot of brain cells to figure out how to be considerate of others in the vicinity, unless you’re a total asshole who doesn’t give a shit.

  48. I understand both sides. I live one block from light rail construction (yes I know about the sound) I also understand that when someone parks their car for three days and two night with the alarm going off constantly (city noise) that to me is disturbing. If you look on the city of Seattle noise ordinance page it say leave a note first and it that works great if not contact the city. http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/police/preve&hellip;

    I also once owned a restaurant and had to be mindful of the space I was in…maybe the landlord should have consider it’s residence first before installing a restaurant.

    As a Capitol Hill resident I understand it can be difficult to move…space…credit…animals…finances all come into play when I have thought about relocating. I would rather stay here…so everyone should play nice nice…;-)

  49. I understand both sides. I live one block from light rail construction (yes I know about the sound) I also understand that when someone parks their car for three days and two night with the alarm going off constantly (city noise) that to me is disturbing. If you look on the city of Seattle noise ordinance page it say leave a note first and it that works great if not contact the city. http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/police/preve&hellip;

    I also once owned a restaurant and had to be mindful of the space I was in…maybe the landlord should have consider it’s residence first before installing a restaurant.

    As a Capitol Hill resident I understand it can be difficult to move…space…credit…animals…finances all come into play when I have thought about relocating. I would rather stay here…so everyone should play nice nice…;-)

  50. I ate at Skillet for the first time a few weeks ago, and as my party and I waited with what was pretty much a throng of other diners — all milling about the entrance waiting for tables — I pointed up at the second floor apartment windows and said, “I’d sure hate to live there.”

    Coming from New York City as I do where we have to put up with asshole landlords who only give a fuck about making as much money as possible even if residents of a neighborhood have their lives ruined by their commercial tenants I tend to sympathize with Joel. But the way he’s going about this is all wrong.

    As many commenters have pointed out — this is an issue best handled by the SPD and DPD. Let them issue complaints and abatement orders and then once they have Joel should withhold rent and force his landlord to take him to court. Then he should file a counterclaim against Chloe’s management for a failure to maintain the warranty of habitability since they are every bit as responsible for making sure their commercial tenants comply with the law as the commercial tenant is.

    Frankly, I was quite surprised to see a business like Skillet go into Chloe since the owners had to know in advance what kind of noise they’d generate given their business model.

    And by way of full disclosure, I’m the owner of Q — the club that’s going into 1426 Broadway at Pike — and my partner and I spent over a year searching for space that was nowhere near any residences. We had the opportunity to take space in several Capitol Hill buildings — including Chloe — that contained residential units and we realized that given our use and our business plan that the combination of even a well behaved Q (which we fervently intend to be even at our present fully commercial location) would be like oil and water anywhere near a residential setting.

    Joel may be going about things the wrong way but he’s not the bad actor here. That award goes to the ownership of the business that moved into a fancy apartment building and should have known their business model would result in noise and then, in spite of repeated complaints, have thrown up their hands and exclaimed, “What can we do” and the management of Chloe who has clearly violated Washington State landlord and tenant law by voiding the warranty of residential habitability for the building.

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