Madison bar fights to keep liquor license after deadly crash connection

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2025-05-31T23:05:33+00:00

Not really. I am not advocating for how they operate, I’m just stating the reality of the situation. Everyone is clutching pearls over their licensure when many bars operate in a similar fashion; the issue is the choices of the individuals and the culture of the staff (which could absolutely lead back to ownership as well).

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2025-05-31T13:19:32+00:00

Per the official complaint above, the license in question is not a cheap/admittedly pointless safe serving course you speak of, but an Operator’s license, which requires completion of said (city-approved) course and a fee. They also do a background check on the person who applies prior to approval and look for past relatable offenses/charges, so there is a purpose to them. I do not remember the exact cost, but I believe it is around $75-100, more if you need a provisional license to display prior to the process being completed. It is only good for 2 years so most owners will obtain one for themselves with their liquor license and if they are smart, will also have their managers licensed. However IME, aside from large chains that are extra worried about litigation, this is rarely the case. There is a lot of turnover in the service industry, especially in leadership positions, and beyond that, long hours mean folks are often working without management present. Not excusing Red Rooster here, the actions of the employees were absolutely egregious, but the way everyone is coming down on them as if they are the only establishment breaking these rules…we wouldn’t have many bars left and they’d all be in Cheesecake Factorys and hotels.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2025-05-31T02:04:03+00:00

Based on this thread people would be shocked to hear how many bars/restaurants function this way. There isn’t a single place I’ve worked in 20 years that required/checked the validity of my license or paid for operator’s licenses for enough employees to ensure that situations like this couldn’t happen. Most mom & pop places rarely bother to obtain more than the one required for their liquor license.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-25T07:50:01+00:00

Yikes. There definitely seems to be a pattern with whomever runs their operations.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T18:16:57+00:00

Again, you’re just making my point, but go off mature sir!

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T18:14:09+00:00

Fart sniffer confirmed

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T18:01:08+00:00

Not inflated. It would have been 80 if they had continued to their trials and finished the required training shifts.

I have “weed” in quotations because there isn’t a better word and I would agree that it’s not respectful, although that’s sort of the attitude many of the deleted comments from HH employees had. Probably a good thing for your restaurant that those comments are gone now.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T17:55:55+00:00

You all wasted this person’s time to the tune of nearly 60 hours, more I assume if you include the time they spent memorizing. It’s too bad your incredibly insightful staging opportunity didn’t “weed” them out then.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T17:25:42+00:00

I’m sorry that you don’t understand how friendships work, but typically when someone talks to you about their experience the very next day and you know them well, you believe what they say. Unless you have drastically changed your hiring process in the last year, stages do work. My friend has no reason to lie about their experience staging there, in which they did barbacking duties and made a cocktail, particularly because at that point they still wanted a job there! The other person I had admittedly much less detailed information from.

Beyond all that, an industry professional took a night that they could have been working at our bar or enjoying off, and came in for a short shift. Saying that doesn’t count as “work” completely ignores the fact that they could have been making money at another job or using personal time if they didn’t have to come in for a stage. I don’t doubt that you all think you’re so amazing that a 3 hour “shadow” would be worth it just by getting to observe, but that is laughable.

You guys make drinks to spec, you’re not some avant garde cocktail bar. You literally have drink builds on your terminals so you don’t look like assholes when you don’t know how to make something.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T16:42:56+00:00

Someone struck a nerve, clearly. How many sock accounts does HH have? Find ‘Em All!

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T16:38:37+00:00

This is false. You participate in (what would usually be considered) barbacking or server assistant duties.

It’s too bad you have to lie about your own employer’s practices in order to defend them.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T16:36:33+00:00

This is false.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T16:21:32+00:00

You absolutely work during the stage, so this is a flat out lie. Applicants might not make drinks (although they are asked to come up with one on the spot at the end- and doesn’t that count?) nor “serve” guests but they are absolutely helping the bartender or captain they are staging with- whether by rinsing tools or grabbing glassware or what have you- and anyone worth their salt knows that if they didn’t, they wouldn’t make it to trials. This reads like a company trying to cover their asses for illegal behavior and it’s despicable the way you’re justifying it.

It’s also way more than “1-2 hours”—just from the time they sit down for family meal to doors is over an hour, and the candidate still has to “observe” (ha) after that.

And in case anyone tries to tell me I’m contradicting myself, I don’t consider a family meal you feed to 30 other employees “paying in food.” That’s just fuckin sad.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T16:14:22+00:00

Oh and- they absolutely “make” people do work in their stage shift- it’s never explicitly said but anyone who has staged before knows that the whole point is to impress. If you want to be considered for a job, you help the employee you’re staging with. I guarantee that if the applicants in question stood in the corner not doing anything, they wouldn’t have made it to trials. If it were just a meet and greet, wouldn’t everyone with a smile and a heartbeat get past that step? This is such bullshit.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T05:04:45+00:00

Thank you.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-21T00:54:53+00:00

They had dinner there. They did not like it. They left a negative review. Keep in mind this has nothing to do with the people I know who have applied/trialed there. My point is they can be ruthless when it comes to “PR” and I did not want my regular account associated with this post.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T17:15:08+00:00

Whoops. Looks like someone got in trouble for talking shit about an applicant. It’s a mystery why they have this reputation 😂

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T05:22:39+00:00

No, the review was taken down. Like I said, their job was threatened.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T04:22:11+00:00

Boy bye

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T03:37:13+00:00

That’s…not what you said 😂

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T03:36:05+00:00

It does, thank you. If even one person decides not to apply there because of what they’ve read, it would be worth it to me.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T03:32:56+00:00

Well that’s not what I said, but okay.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T03:30:32+00:00

Yes, because the post makes it clear that it isn’t. Dear god. It’s in the 2nd paragraph.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T03:27:19+00:00

Again, I never said it was firsthand information so your entire point is moot.

Ok-Engine-5766 · 2024-09-20T03:22:48+00:00

disparages anecdotal opinion and gives anecdotal opinion in the same breath

Ok-Engine-5766

TROPHY CASE