Dirty bathrooms, awful service, high prices: all common ways to kill business. Having a political meltdown on Facebook, though, is easily the most entertaining.
So late last night (Monday), the owner of the newly opened Zio Carlo Brew Pub on the Near South Side was having a cocktail (or 12) at the nearby Chat Room Pub when he decided to go online on one of Le Chat’s handy computer machines and complain about sharing company with “spoiled Obama kids.” No, not Malia and Sasha, but, y’know, all of the 99 percenters in town, to whom the Near South Side serves as one of only a few 99-percent-friendly enclaves. Hilarity –– um, I mean, “Social suicide” –– ensues.
As you can see in the image below, a screenshot of the entire thread (courtesy of Josh Burk), Mr. Zio Carlo (a.k.a. Carlo Galotto) –– like honey badger –– don’t give a shit. As a student of offensive behavior, I applaud the old man’s ballsiness. Last I checked, America was a free country, and you could talk about anything you damn well pleased. Will I be hanging out at Zio Carlo’s anytime soon? Hahaha. That’s a negatory, ghost rider. I’ll be more than happy to throw my hard-earned money at the owners of the Chat, a.k.a. “the worst place in Fort Worth.”
Zio Carlo has since graciously apologized via FB post, though some friends have expressed skepticism.
Screw him and his place …. he’ll fail.guarantee
Yikes. Though it’s funny that his syntax makes it hard to tell if he was drunk at the Chat or just Italian at the chat.
Steve. Funny.
We should ask him to write a guest column.
he could always come to the TCU side of town and surround himself with spoiled Bush kids
At least spoiled Obama kids tip decently, because most of them have either been on the other side of a bar or pretty much know that they will be there soon thanks to their BAs in English Literature or BSs in Biology.
Haha. Had to check my addition on the captcha! Anyway, like I said on your facebook comment. Brew Hahahahahhah! Zio, ease up on the hater-aid and put down that last hater-tot.
Well..big day on Facespace! I really don’t know what to say about all this. Is it a case of a bad move gone worse or a case of misplaced frustration that got mixed up in translation? I don’t know. What I do know is that myself and my partners, Jon Carney and Josh Terry, stand firm in our commitment to keeping The Chat “easily the 8th best place in Fort Worth.” I can’t say that it doesn’t hurt a little when we get called the worst place in Fort Worth, but let’s be real…It’s not the first time. Yes, it’s smoky. Yes, you need to keep up with pitchfork media to not get ridiculed at the jukebox. Yes, you might run into a pack of liberal hipsters. I understand that these things might irritate a few people. You know what doesn’t irritate people though. Really friendly bartenders that serve reasonably priced drinks. By the way, our other hobbies include helping patrons fix their cars on Saturday afternoons, using old crate wood to build things instead of just throwing it away, Dolly Parton, Sunday Morning Football, and supporting the neighborhood that we serve and has served us well for the past 10 years. I don’t feel as though Carlo was taking a shot at us. I just want to take a moment to reiterate that we understand our place in the larger picture of the bar scene in our fair city and that we care about our neighborhood and our patrons. I’ve gotten to know Carlo over the last few months and have never had anything but friendly conversation with him. I also understand that getting a business off the ground is a long and frustrating process and frustration can easily get misplaced. Being a good neighbor is also good business.
P.S. If you really have the urge to sip a $2 Zeigenbock and start a firestorm of controversy on Facebook, I know this great little bar on the southside of town that has a few computers!
Nicely put, Brad. I also don’t think Carlo was taking a shot at Le Chat. (The remainder of his comment contains what I believe is a public display of affection for your pub.) I just hope people don’t get carried away and either start terrorizing Carlo’s place (skipping tabs, stealing glasses, etc.) or actually patronizing him for his anti-Obama beliefs. Could you imagine? Wow.
P.S. Blay said hater-ade and hater-tots. Just making sure you all caught that.
what is an obama kid?
So according to your reasoning Anthony, it is ok to boycott the place if you disagree with him, but not ok to patronize it if you agree with the owner? Sorry, that logic does not work… what if I don’t WANT to be surrounded by Obama-ites? I think this bar sounds great if that is what I am looking for… and BTW, I am not a member of the Republican party.
No, I never told anyone to boycott the place. I just said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that I would feel weird giving my money to a bar owner who doesn’t know me but doesn’t like me. (I voted for Obama and still support the man, so I guess I’m a “spoiled Obama kid,” even though I barely have two nickels to rub together.) I also think that patronizing his bar simply because you’re anti-Obama would be a much broader, much more intentional political statement than an Obama supporter’s sitting back and saying, “Well, that bar owner doesn’t like me because of my political beliefs even though he’s never met me. I’m unwelcome at his bar. I probably shouldn’t go there.”
I don’t see any different with freely expressing your beliefs. Welcome to America!
different = difference (damn autocorrect)
And after reading your post, you actually said, ” just hope people don’t get carried away and either start terrorizing Carlo’s place (skipping tabs, stealing glasses, etc.)”
I used the more conservative “boycott” as I would not want to spread the idea of terrorizing his establishment just because he does not like Obama. He made a political statement, and if his business suffers or skyrockets because of it, he has a right to express his beliefs. That is where I stand.
I agree with you. Wholeheartedly. And I love talking politics with friends and family members at gatherings and local watering holes. Throw in some booze, and we’ve got ourselves a party!
I rarely discuss politics with friends or acquaintances, especially in bars. Its invites the “stupid” and I have a very low tolerance for stupidity. I support the freedom to be stupid, sure, but I try not to invite it to hang out.
I don’t mind talking religion and politics with anyone, anytime. I’m always looking to learn.
Sorry, I like to enjoy my social situations and my occasional drink. I do not mix politics with it. I have plenty of time for that outside of social situations…
it wasn’t about his political views per se that got everyone upset. he pretty much used his restaurant business page to talk trash to a large portion of the neighborhood. obviously living in fort worth we frequent conservative right leaning establishments.. its almost impossible not to. And i really don’t think about it or even let it bother me. He can have his views, his “freedom of speech” but he doesn’t have to be an ass over it especially in the neighborhood where he built his business.
That’s true, Paul: not the politics as much as the offensive, condescending nature of the initial message.
after reading some of the nastier comments on DFW.com regarding this story, it wouldnt surprise me if Carlo’s bizness actually upticks for a bit after this. i wouldnt look for his bartenders to make much money though.
Yeah, a lot of people (too many, maybe?) are saying, sarcastically or not, “I’m goin’ to that Zia Carla place, fer sure, man! That sounds like mah kinda place!” Oh, well. Texas is a (blood-) red state. Sadly. But. To each his/her own, I guess.
i’m going to say this here as well – while his Obama comment may have set off a firestorm, THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS. Many of the people – myself included – were incensed that we were told our business wasn’t welcome.
I was actually called out by name (i believe it was the 5th comment above), and told that Carlo didn’t care if he lost me, or 1,000 of my friends as customers. As Brad will tell you, i spend a fairly reasonable amount of money at bars in my neighborhood, so to read that comment from Carlo was insulting on a personal level.
Carlo seems to be making amends. he apparently has someone else handling his business’ facebook page, and he is giving away free pizza and making a donation to Fort Worth South. Now, if he only drinks less during the day, so he doesn’t alienate good patrons yell at good employees, we’ll really be making progress.
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