PLEASE BOYCOTT
THE "NEW IMPROVED" SADIES FLYING ELEPHANT

UNDER NEW HOSTILE MANAGEMENT & UNFAIR TO WORKERS

boycottsadies.blogspot.com

Hi

I worked for the past four years as a bartender at a San Francisco bar known as Sadies Flying Elephant. My relationship with the place stretches back even longer, dating to when I built the first website shortly after it opened back in 1998.

The original owners, Sean & Jules, were a couple who had a lot of community goodwill behind them when they opened initially on a shoestring with just a beer/wine license. Many people donated furniture, art and their skills and labor to get the joint opened, and keep it afloat. For the first year or so people made a real effort to go down there, and support the place while it awaited a liquor license.

Over the years Sadie's became a community center of sorts, and holds a special place in the memories of so many folks who've passed through over the years. The atmosphere, with it's quirky chalk art covered walls, thrift store fixtures, bookshelves & board games was created as much by the customers as the staff and owners. The place was known for it's dollar beers at happy hour, and goofball events like Bingo & Easter Egg Hunts, Indie Film Screenings, Chalk Art contests and occasional political fundraisers for local school board candidates and even Matt Gonzalez long before he was a supervisor, and well known by the political establishment.

The bar was a simple gathering place open to all that featured a trophy winning Pool Team, and has hosted SF's longest running queer open mic event Kvetsh every month. As workers and customers we shared a unique camaraderie that seemed more like an extended family than a mere place of business.

Sadly by early 2006, Sean & Jules were busy raising a family, and needed to move on and sold the place to new investors.

Within days of taking over, the new management aloofly let it be known that they were not interested in retaining many aspects of the establishment as it were. They immediately raised prices 35% to 150% across the board. Getting a return on their investment was certainly understandable, but as they began alienating the workers and regular customers, questions arose.

It was if they bought a place they had never been too or wanted to go, and exhibited a condescending attitude in nearly all interactions with them. Apparently they have no interest in Sadie's long earned reputation as an offbeat locale, and could care less for it's unique atmosphere , loyal staff, and regular customers that came along with it. They even scoffed at stocking even the basic beers & booze that regular customers request. It's beyond my understanding why someone would buy a place only to ruin their most obvious source of cashflow...

I've never seen anyone squander so much goodwill in so little time...

Then they began firing the staff for dubious & ridiculous reasons... with no notice.

Why?

The new owners seem embittered, overly dictatorial, and have little interest in listening to simple suggestions made by their own customers and staff. Their actions do not deserve our support as a community...

There are over 2400 alcoholic beverage license holders in San Francisco, please find one treating customers & employees fairly... and patronize them.


PLEASE BOYCOTT

THE "NEW IMPROVED" SADIES FLYING ELEPHANT

UNDER NEW HOSTILE MANAGEMENT & UNFAIR TO WORKERS