Doug Quinn. He’s an old-school, good-looking, NYC classic bartender of Irish descent. Umm… or rather, he was a bartender – at the infamous P.J. Clarke’s on Third Ave. This place is an extremely popular, classic, pub on the East Side. It started life in 1884. Somehow, amidst a sea of gross looking, steel and concrete framed, glass-clad skyscrapers, this demure 2-story building has managed not to get razed.
The land on which it sits, is an extremely valuable office/commercial plot. I’m certain that large construction conglomerates have long tried courting the owners to sell out. It’s a New York City landmark bar – a throwback to the freaking post-civil war era – really. If you’ve never been, next time you’re in New York, it’s well worth a visit. Although it does get its fair share of Wall Street type, suit sporting urbanites, the place itself is quite the eclectic experience – a far cry from those neighboring Bro and Douchebag-filled sports arenas like Turtle Bay and Bierhaus.
Anyway, Mr.Quinn was a bartender there for the last 9 years. He was a fixture. Like many bartenders with extraordinary appeal, charm and seemingly never-ending smiles, customers eventually flocked to P.J. Clarke’s, primarily, just to see him. They did so repeatedly. He had that to-die for, priceless bartending asset – A Following.
So one day, not unlike many other days, Mr. Quinn has an encounter with a “problem” customer. I’m sure you’ve been witness to this particular type – the Misogynist, Touchy-Feely, Belligerent Pig – further enhanced by liquid courage. Doug, from all media accounts, does his job properly (as I would) and asks the Douchebag to leave the bar.
New York Times account of the incident
The result? Doug get’s fired by the owners. Yes, really.
What have we learned today from this incident, boys and girls? Yes, the owners of that fine establishment appear to be – shall we say – slightly out of touch (putting it nicely)? Secondly, if you’re behind the bar, you may be clearly justified, and have the business’s continuity and overall well being in mind. Regardless, saying the right thing, to the right people at the right times, can still cost you your job if that person happens to be a “Friend of Ours.” We don’t have the entire back story, but that “Friend of Ours” is likely a close friend, business associate, investor or family member of one of the owners or management. Despite his Tom Foolery, he somehow won the battle.
My money is on the reality that P.J. Clarke’s has lost the overall war. They haven’t lost it so much due to the relatively minor tragedy of firing a great bartender with a following (Doug and the loss of income can eventually be replaced). They’ve lost because of the great big ensuing public stink – the brouhaha created in the modern age of instant and widespread information. Regardless of who that dumbass customer is/was and his “connections,” (real or imagined) the shitstorm of bad publicity this situation has developed is growing like a gargantuan, infected, puss-filled cyst. The number of blogs, traditional, mainstream news sources and the like reporting on Doug’s firing has increased exponentially in the last few days. This can’t be good for good ol’ P.J.’s. No, they’re not likely to fold – it still is and will always likely be a very popular draw. However, a good number of regulars and enthusiasts will likely take a pass on imbibing there going forward. Net-net: (1) there very well may be a measurable impact to the owner’s bottom line as a result and (2) Doug will probably be ok and land on his feet elsewhere.
So goes the bar business folks.
