On Monday, EVG contributor Derek Berg noted the arrival of a chalk message on the sidewalk outside Ballaro on Second Avenue between East Fourth Street and East Fifth Street.
The message was pointed, yet strangely polite: "We do not play Taylor Swift here you cunts. Grazie."
At the time of our post, we didn't know what this was all about.
But commenters filled in the blanks:
I was actually there [Sunday] night and a big group of drunk people were abusing the bartenders and yelling at them to play Taylor swift.. They actually did play 2 Taylor songs to try and please them. Then they started booing because she didn't play the right one.
And now, Ballaro checks in:
Dear Neighbors,
As one of the owners of Ballaro, I wanted to shed some light on the events that took place at my establishment this last Sunday night. In my eyes, it was extremely ridiculous. It’s easy to talk shit and to make snap judgements without ever knowing what truly took place, which is why I wanted to write this letter.
To start, I do not know who wrote that sentence on the floor outside of our place, but it was not me or anyone who works at Ballaro. That’s not who I am - I grew up in a family that taught me how to respect people the same... their skin color, race, religion, sexual orientation and age is never taken into consideration when I’m serving customers. I treat everyone with the upmost respect.
I know that I was offended, degraded and treated like shit by a group of 15 drunk people without any valid reason. They were screaming “BOO, YOU SUCK!” at me and my wait staff because Taylor Swift wasn’t playing on our sound system. I then played two Taylor Swift songs for them to placate them and they were dancing and singing all together so I assumed I had made my customers happy.
However, after the two songs ended and the playlist moved on to other artists, they started complaining even more and it escalated. They started screaming that the songs I played weren’t the right one and I was told that, “this place is shit, the music and the people here suck.” I was then told to, “go back to your country with that fucking immigrant face.”
This was the point that I lost control and I finally broke under the consistent barrage of snarky comments to myself and my staff. We had done nothing but serve them and try to make their time as enjoyable as possible and we were all being treated poorly. I yelled at them to leave and asked them all to go.
One of the women in the group took out her phone and said that she was going to make a viral video so no one would come to Ballaro anymore. Now this, more than anything, upsets me because Ballaro is a gathering place for neighbors, friends, lovers and strangers alike. We have a community that gathers in Ballaro and we all love and support each other and welcome anyone in our restaurant and bar. To possibly lose all that because of someone’s tainted point of view on social media, would be the worst thing.
My mission is to make everyone who enters through the front door feel like they are at home, because sometimes New York hardens even the best of us and we forget the true values in life: community and peace.
I’m a dreamer, and as a dreamer I would love to change the world, starting even in the smallest ways. So please, let’s make LOVE VIRAL and not hate! If anyone is bothered at the way I run my wine bar, I’d love to have a calm conversation with them face-to-face. If you truly dislike Ballaro, than luckily there are a million other places in New York that you can go to. I can’t allow groups of belligerent drunk people to insult my bar, myself or my staff. This place is my heart and soul, and I need to protect that.
I’ve learned that everybody deserves a second chance and I have learned the importance of always responding in love, no matter what insults or hurt is thrown at me.
East Village, I hope you will be safe and sound, Taylor Swift or no Taylor Swift.
Sincerely,
BALLARO
PS - You know where to find me if you feel the need to come apologize and pay your $500 check, as you left without paying.
Photos by Derek Berg
Do not love these people. Call the police. They stiffed you for $500 bucks, and then blackmailed you with a social media threat.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to Ballaro yet, but I feel for the owner after hearing this story, and I'll try to make a visit soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you to Ballaro for standing up for your business and your staff. If more local businesses demanded resect from these drunken idiots who rampage through our neighborhood every night maybe they would behave themselves or go elsewhere. Their money is not worth the aggravation, and they can damage a business with their viral vdeos and negative Yelp reviews.
ReplyDeleteThe more I hear about this incident the more it sounds like a well coordinated pre-planned scam. Now that we know they had run up a big tab, it's pretty obvious they had a motive to create a situation where they could make a scene to get free drinks or storm out of the bar without paying. If they skipped out on $500 tab you should file a police report and have them all locked up. Post their photos so that other bars can be on the lookout for these scammers.
Make Love Viral has a nice ring to it. Make Them Pay and Lock Them Up has a nice ring to it too.
Absolutely agree with you 6:54 -- that's a crime and ought to be treated as such. Do you have video footage of the criminals?
ReplyDeleteThey are what suck about this neighborhood -- whether they live here nor not! How dare they threaten you!
It's a quality of life offense. Call the police!
I can't believe that drunks misbehaved in a bar. This has never happened here before.
ReplyDeleteAfter this incident, I'm much more likely to go to Ballaro now.
ReplyDelete@746am
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that someone posted a snarky comment. This has never happened before.
When I worked at 'The Bar' on 4th/2nd, c. 88-91, Big Al woulda' taken care of this in about 5 seconds with his solid brass duck neck walking stick. Oh yeah, and the Hell's Angel's would backed him/us up. Ah, the good ole' days when frat jerks and yuppies didn't come near the neighbourhood.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others who are calling on the owner to file a police report. There has to be security camera footage of them in front of or near the restaurant. Find it, and post it, so we can identify these people.
ReplyDeleteMake love viral, eyeroll. Make assholes pay their tabs. Also, don't entertain douchebags who order you to play terrible music in your own damn establishment in the first place. This story is weird.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they post the picture they took and then you can have the police track them down for theft. And then you can post a picture of your own of the fucking thieves. Well, that might not be spreading love like you magnanimously encouraged but these people deserve shame.
ReplyDeleteI'm going there next week for dinner!!!!! They deserve some support!
ReplyDeleteGroup of drunks walk in, start acting rude, you should have called the cops then. I have to assume you have video of these hooligans, blast it out here on the interwebs, hopefully it will embarrass them with people they know. Looks like a lesson for all of us who encounter Taylor Swift fans, I'd be embarrassed to ask someone to play TS!
ReplyDeleteSounds very much like these people were using any excuse to express unhappiness with this establishment; they intended not to pay the check upon arrival.
ReplyDeleteTruly disgusting behavior. I plan to visit your place soon and try and spend some money!
ReplyDeleteShould've played the NY Dolls or the Ramones instead. Taylor Swift-loving douchenozzles.
ReplyDeleteLook, Taylor Swift, NYC Ambassador, is a pox on society. But why didn't Ballaro get a credit card before (or during) a $500 tab run-up? And does anyone really believe that someone from the establishment isn't responsible for chalking that comment? I mean, who cares really, it's just a dumb chalk comment (although people who want to "make love viral" generally don't go around writing "cunts" on the sidewalk, but I digress).
ReplyDeleteTaylor Swift fans are obviously losers, and drunk Taylor Swift fans are the stuff of nightmares, but this entire story is sketchy as hell and it doesn't make me want to run down and spend money at Ballaro, sorry
As a shop owner, I am often told " I will try to get to your shop soon" translated this means, "I'm just saying this to sound cool, empathetic and maybe make you feel better but I know right now that I will not be going to your store, ever". Those posting their support for this place should think twice about leaving comments like this.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who thinks a mountain is being made out of a mole hill?
ReplyDeleteI'm a neighbor and I walk past Ballaro every night....really...EVERY night. They do a nice job at keeping the sidewalks clean and their patrons in check. It is not one of those loud raucous sophmoric let's get drunk and ruin on our lives type of place. It is a nice place.
ReplyDeleteNow if only they would get rid of those potted palms that are in everyone's way. Remember guys...there is an 8 foot clearance from the curb to the outdoor cafe border that you must keep clear.
I frequent this restaurant several times a week, at varying times, to have coffee and work on my computer, have a couple glasses of wine with my fiancée and friends, and to eat their tasty food. I've even been in their establishment for a late night drink and haven't found it to be offensively loud. But that's my opinion, and everyone is entitled to theirs.
ReplyDeleteThe staff, at all times, has been very accommodating and the service has been friendly. I'm also a firm believer that the attention you get out of the universe tends to be a reflection of the energy you put into it. 15 drunk people making demands, threats and skipping out on checks will most likely elicit a poor response from a respectable establishment. However, I think the owners response was appropriate and very reasonable.
I will continue to frequent their restaurant because I like the vibe, the staff who I have come to know on a first name basis, and the owner, for continuing to promote Love and positivity in the face of ridiculous behavior.
PS. Their complimentary platters of delicious food at "Happy Hour" (which could easily suffice as a meal) is another great reason to check this place out if you haven't already.
#10:15... also play Heartbreakers, Voidoids, Joy Division, The Stranglers, etc.
ReplyDeletei love this place and have never been treated anything but wonderfully by the staff. until i moved away from the EV i was in her a couple times a week for coffee or wine/cheese. they had (have?) a great happy hour with apprativos (tasty and generous). it is a wonderful place to hang out and talk with real live people (not via text/email/facetime...). the only thing wrong with the response was to not kick them out earlier--i'm sure everyone around this group was miserable bc of them too. why don't they just stay in the meatpacking district--maybe Soho-- that's it.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing they were young 'uns (who else would whine about not hearing enough Taylor Swift) and, with that in mind, it's hard to not imagine the stereotypical overprivileged, narcissistic 20s generation. Just the "I'm going to make this viral..." Ugh.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for playing the decent role from start to finish. Next time, get some pics of them so you can warn other area businesses of them, like what a restaurant owner here in Boston did a few months back (http://boston.eater.com/2015/2/28/8126023/michael-scelfo-publicly-lays-the-smackdown-on-entitled-alden-harlow#4162106).
And, just to make sure it never dies, here's the pic that has since been removed from Instagram: http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--zJ3qYlAU--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/dugnidyprh3ovbubx3mp.png
What a sad flap. This is what's going on in this neighborhood. We are officially Squaresville.
ReplyDeleteI love Ballaro and was shocked to read this terrible story. I know that loyal customers will always patronize this great place in the East Village. I hope they get caught
ReplyDeleteI agree with the first comment, call the police. these idiots need to pay.
ReplyDeleteAlso, with the exception of a birthday song, don't do song requests.
Not even "Have Love, Will Travel" by the Sonics? :-(
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that something like this happened to Ballaro. They have always been a lovely place to get delicious food, and their delivery is top-notch too. Their prices also remain low (by the standards of today's East Village). Also, I could be wrong, but I believe their owners previously owned the Crème Bebe kids' store on Second Ave -- they are long-time EV small business owners.
ReplyDeleteOne of informal and at times unfortunately awesome things about New York City, was the respect component. There used to be some level of fear/respect when being within an unknown establishment. For instance, if you would have acted so poorly in that neighborhood (or most neighborhoods) in NYC in the 70s through the mid 90s, you probably would have gotten yourself really messed up. I'm not advocating violence, but I sort of miss those days of fear and respect. Whoever those people were, will likely run into that scenario somewhere one day.
ReplyDeleteWhen's the last time you ran up a $500 bar tab without handing over a credit card first? Didn't think so. Doesn't make sense. That being said I hope these fkrs are nailed somehow.
ReplyDeleteIf I owned a place and a party of at least six people came in I would request to hold two credit cards or for the party to pay up front with cash or a credit card (mandatory 20% tip for a party of six or more in cash) before I serve them because if I have just one bouncer or a bouncer and someone who can be backup but not really bounce i.e. be more like a second presence, what's to stop five people in the party of six from taking off and the one person I hold saying he/she has no or not enough money to pay the bill? What am I gonna do, beat up the one left behind to take the fall? No. It's tempting but illegal. If the party didn't like this policy, too bad, my establishment, my rules, moreover I'm not serving x dollars worth of food and drinks, getting stiffed, and having my wait and bar staffs get stiffed.
ReplyDeleteIf it's a party of fifteen I am not only definitely being paid in full up front but I'm being paid in cash only, no credit card someone could charge back. The party would get a 15% discount on their bill (one percent off for each person :) and each person in the party would get a free bottled beer on me next time he/she comes in (this way each of them comes in on their own alone or with whoever over time) for bringing me tremendous business.
Can Ballaro explain how 15 people were allowed to drink on a tab with no CC held?!?! Where they using the honor system?!
ReplyDeleteWhy should rude and obnoxious behavior be REWARDED with free food and drinks? There are MANY MANY people in the 'hood who go hungry on a daily basis who would have been really well behaved for a free meal (and they likely don't care what shitty "music" is playing). Maybe Taylor is the AMBASSADOR of ASSHOLISM? Perhaps she should come forward and pay the bill!!!! With all her money, it's the least she can do.
ReplyDeleteMore seriously, though, these little shits SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH THEFT or is the owner too embarrassed to have let them get away with it? Something just doesn't add up here. Where can you go and run up a huge bill without handing over a credit card? Looks like they knew exactly what they were doing.
In regards to people asking about the credit card tabs, Ballaro is more of a restaurant than a true wine bar. They have awesome pasta and sandwiches and I've only ever gone then for a meal, rather than drinks, and get a standard dinner bill following the meal.
ReplyDeleteHopefully that clears up some of the confusion.
I'm not opposed to making "love viral" so long as I can remain an asymptomatic carrier.
ReplyDeletethis is such a publicity stunt. you're all being taken for suckers here.
ReplyDeletehey 3:37, fuck you.
ReplyDeleteI've patronized that place 50 times easily, including today.
Great owners, great neighborhood place, great service, solid food. Maybe they should've gotten a credit card up front, so they're too trusting.
The EV needs more places like this.
3:13, that clears up nothing. You're speaking as one person who ordered a solitary sandwich, maybe with a companion or two, and I assume that you were well-behaved. The story is about a group of FIFTEEN people who, by the owner's own account, "offended, degraded, and treated [him] like shit." Further to the owner's report, the party of fifteen were screaming, their complaints escalated, then the group became racist and finally threatened the staff with viral humiliation.
ReplyDeleteAt no point does the OWNER think to cut these people off, hand over a bill, tell them to pay and leave? I don't know, I'm not "in love with love" or whatever, so I don't get it. Maybe he felt charitable and let them stay regardless of the "snarky comments" (and in what world does a horrible comment like “go back to your country with that fucking immigrant face” qualify as snarky?). But then he should have asked for a damn credit card if he was going to let them keep drinking and screeching.
"This place is my heart and soul, and I need to protect that. "
Well at what point was the owner planning to "protect that"? When fifteen drunk-ass Taylor Swift fans all walked out the door without paying a dime? I refuse to believe any business owner could be so inept. This isn't Mayberry people!
At the very least this story is greatly exaggerated, but I'm leaning on the side of "entirely made up."
@3:37 PM Nice try Taylor, but this kind of stuff happens so often now that it's become the new normal for millenial Frat Bros and their Sorostitutes. Now go back to your sorority house, and make it Swift!
ReplyDeleteif someone asked me to play Taylor Swift, I'd ask them to go play in the traffic
ReplyDeleteThis feels like a lame attempt at making something go viral. How do that many people drink at a bar and no one takes a credit card? And when $500 walks out the door, they don't call the cops, or take their photo, or do ANYTHING to try and recoup that money? They're just all 'later bitches?' It just doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeletethe shills are out in force
ReplyDelete"Sorostitutes." A keeper. Thanks. And re the story and has been noted in this thread, it does seem rather strange that a party of 15 was able to accumulate a cash tab of $500? Maybe one of the owners can clear this up for us.
ReplyDeleteToo bad there is not a cell phone picture of these self-entitled trolls to post with this narrative of events. Did the restaurant say if the theft of drinks/ and or food was reported to police? They stole $500 worth of drinks (and food?)
ReplyDeleteP.S. If there is a photo of these rude idiots, please post it.
Clearly a ploy to get Taylor Swift to pony up. And I think she should.
ReplyDeleteOh please, who hasn't walked out on a bar tab before? The fact that it was $500 just shows that the place is overpriced. The loss is probably less than the retail cost of a single bottle of vodka.
ReplyDeleteAnd what difference does it make what music they wanted to hear? This is so childish.
If you have cameras up then I would suggest filling out a police report as they "stole" 500.00 worth of goods and services. None of these people are small business owners or were raised by small business owners they have no idea how hard you work to keep your beautiful doors open.
ReplyDeleteActually, 15 people drinking and possibly eating food, $500 seems cheap. Something's off here. And the owner didn't chalk the sidewalk? Someone from the restaurant did. Who else would care enough to make that statement AND sign it in Italian?
ReplyDeleteSomeone in this restaurant that night has to have video of them and they need to post it immediately. If not tourists, then my guess is they're young IBM/Facebook/Google employees straight from the DeathStar. I'd also guess that that this wasn't their first time leaving a restaurant without paying. Call the police, they robbed you.
ReplyDeleteTo 7:07: Who hasn't walked out on a bar tab before?? MOST PEOPLE. I never have and I've been here forever. I know I'm not alone. What is wrong with you?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete@7:07 Who hasn't walked out on a $500 bar tab?
Who doesn't scream “BOO, YOU SUCK!” at the owner and wait staff because Taylor Swift isn’t playing on the sound system at an East Village bar?
Who hasn't criticized a bar owner for playing the "WRONG" Taylor Swift songs? As if there are any "RIGHT" Taylor Swift songs!
Who doesn't hang out with drunken Broholics and their Sorostitutes who yell at the bar owner to "go back to your country with that fucking immigrant face?”
Who hasn't blackmailed a bar owner with a viral video if he doesn't give into all of your pathetic infantile alcohol impaired demands?
Everyone else, that's who! Everyone else except for these 15 drunken entitled trust fund babies. These people don't even have the guts to come out and tell their their side of the story, because then they would have to pay for their drinks and face the music, and by that I don't mean a stupid Taylor Swift song.
The East Village is DEAD because of entitled woo woo girls like these who want everything THEIR WAY and then don't even pay the check. AND THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT. SOMETHING IS WAY OFF HERE. AND you know what else? These are the same types of women who never get out of the way on the sidewalk and who are always walking on the wrong side or three-four apiece, blocking the entire thoroughfare with their BS entitled attitude. IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN NYC SO BADLY, be a POSITIVE part of the community...youth isn't everything...it fades. Besides anyone over age 24 here is considered ancient. I HATE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD NOW, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS. The new kids are HORRIFICALLY RUDE, falsely superior, and oh so FULL OF THEMSELVES. They probably do work in the death star; how appropriate.
ReplyDelete@7:07...WALKING OUT ON A BAR TAB IS CHILDISH.
ReplyDelete@ 7:07 First off, a retail bottle of vodka cost a small fraction of that, even less for a bar. Second, Ballaro doesn't have a full liquor license. So, obviously the tab did not involve an over priced bottle of vodka. And third, the majority of adults don't walk out on a bar tab. This is childish and I truly hope your comment was meant to be sarcastic, other wise, humanity is utterly fucked. I am willing to put down money that you are a Taylor Swift fan. The bars story has some flaws, but for god sake, people actually think like you?!
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks that walking out a bar tab is acceptable is also a CUNT, 7:07.
ReplyDelete@ 7:07. If you casually pick up a plum in front of a bodega, put it in your mouth and chew / swallow without PAYING for it first, it's called stealing.
ReplyDeleteSame for a $500 bar tab.
One more time. S T E A L I N G.
11:09, there are two potential responses to the people who won't yield public sidewalk space: (i) you either walk right into them or (ii) when you're approaching one another and it's clear that they're not going to do the courteous thing and step aside, acknowledging that someone else might actually exist, you simply stop in your tracks and wait for them to walk around you. Also, no eye contact is important. If you're a normal person you tend to look at other people in your environment -- note well: these types of people do not. Once you signal to them that you're paying attention, they don't have to and will expect you to move out of the way.
ReplyDeleteEvery single one of you people nattering on about bodegas and stealing and manners, I mean of course you are correct but you sound like a bunch of rubes, because this Ballaro harassment story is dumb and full of holes. So maybe don't get worked all-caps up about THEFT and PLUMS and BOTTLE SERVICE because none of what anyone is saying happened that night makes an ounce of common sense.
ReplyDeleteThe ONLY person who gets a pass for walking (running) out on a restaurant tab is Julie Andrews' character in "Victor/Victoria."
ReplyDelete@7:07
ReplyDeleteI'm pushing 50 with a broom and I've never stiffed anyone on a tab. I don't know anyone who has ever admitted to that...and that's not just my friends but *anyone* including some assholes I know. I worked in a bar and never personally had anyone stiff us on the tab (although there were some who didn't leave tips). The bar did have a few stories of people who tried to walk out without paying, but they were rarities.
I am aghast that you think this is normal and funny. If even the obnoxious people I know wouldn't ditch a tab, I can't imagine what you are like.
I hope this thread isn't full of Baby Boomers complaining about the "entitled" millenials generation. Otherwise elf awareness is officially dead.
ReplyDelete/Gen Xer
Welp. 11:43 you could, you know, READ the thread and find out for yourself. Way to live up to that slacker stereotype, man. But I'm with you that elf awareness is important. Those Keebler cats should totally unionize.
ReplyDelete/nonlazy GenXer
ReplyDeleteWhen in doubt
Ask yourself
What would Dick Manitoba do?
@11:43: get a grip, jerk.
ReplyDeleteAs for this incident, I wish that, at the point where these people started getting out of hand, one of the owners/managers had gone into the kitchen and phoned 911 to report a riot. THAT would have gotten a response from the police.
BTW, I see the effect the FB/Google/Deathstar crowd is having around the EV, and it's ugly. They have, incredibly, managed to make a bad situation worse.
All you're ever gonna be is mean
ReplyDeleteWhy you gotta be so mean?
Anonymous 10:04
ReplyDelete"this Ballaro harassment story is dumb and full of holes."
???? You obviously don't know this restaurant and have no idea what you are talking about. So sorry you live in a universe where people would make up this story.
Ballaro is a restaurant that caters to the neighborhood - not a bro bar, not even a full liquor license. They have no reason to make up a story - they're not trying to bring in customers, they do well enough with their regular patrons: espressos and pastries or eggs for breakfast, typical Italian sandwiches and pastas for lunch, and small plates and pastas for dinner. It's a lively but respectful restaurant that is usually filled with tables of 1, 2, 3 or 4 diners (yes, that kind of place - where a person can go and eat by themself and be comfortable and treated as a valuable patron).
They've probably rarely, if ever had a table of 15 people. Diners ordering appetizers, entrees and glasses or bottles of wine typically aren't asked for a credit card before the check is delivered as is done in mainly drinking establishments. It's no surprise that staff would not ask for a credit card from these jerks before they ran up a $500 tab - they would never have expected to be stiffed for dinner.
I really can't understand the people putting blame on the owner or suggesting it's a made up story. Only people who assume this is a 2nd Ave bro bar could say those things.
I agree with Scuba Diva - I think I'm going to check this place out....provided they do NOT play any Taylor Swift!
ReplyDelete2:55, unclench please. It's true I am not a patron of Ballaro. That said, just because I think the story seems fabricated does not mean I assume it's a "bro bar." That doesn't even make sense. What also doesn't make sense is allowing a giant group of rude and belligerent people to enter one's establishment, run up a huge tab, provide no credit, tell the staff what music to play, make racist comments to the owner, and then leave en masse without paying. You do not need to run an establishment that regularly caters to groups of 10 or more to know when you have a disaster in the making.
ReplyDeleteYou can hardly run a successful business in NYC without having some sort of innate intelligence about problematic customers. So how is it that they manage to run a successful, well-liked place but completely lose all sense of logic when a bunch of racist Taylor Swift fans show up? It makes no sense. And their response to this alleged incident is some hippy-dippy letter about viral love while calling people cunts on the sidewalk. Not security footage, not asking if any other patrons maybe have phone footage or could ID the offending party.
I'm sorry, I'm sure Ballaro is run by nice people but common sense will tell you that this story is FULL OF HOLES
This story is whack and the East Village sucks ass.
ReplyDeleteGotta say, 3:49 PM has a point.
ReplyDeleteAs for 7:07; come on people, you really don't recognize a troll when you see one?? You all been hooked.
I honestly think that if Taylor Swift's name was not mentioned in this piece, there would be no more than five comments.
ReplyDeleteIn the future, stories could read: Taylor Swift Fan Runs Red Light on Bicycle; Taylor Swift Fan Leaves Dog Poop on Sidewalk; etc.
I might have to.stop.by and spend a few bucks at Ballaro. Fuck those people own the sentiment no need to backtrack or apologize.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the EV needs more wine bars.
ReplyDelete