Cuban Revolution faces social media buzz tumult over one group's experience

One way to get some buzz for a new business, it's said, is to stir up some controversy.

If the owners of Cuban Revolution are in fact trying that strategy, one might have to ask if they're succeeding at it too well.

First up, the American Tobacco eatery and Providence, R.I. import was raising some jeers from the local Latino community before its arrival over what some have taken to be a glamorization of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

And while owner Ed Morabito has been quick to note his goal in the imagery has been to simply spark conversation and to create a theming -- one that includes portraits of JFK and Marilyn Monroe, too -- it hasn't stopped some Cuban-Americans and their supporters from expressing concern over the theme, in the comments here and in communication directly with the business.

Last week, the restaurant started getting an entirely different buzz... or is that buzzkill? This time, it started coming in from Durham's African-American community.

We at BCR got word of this a few hours before a note hit Facebook containing complaints from a member of The Young Professionals Experience (TYPE), a group that seeks to draw in young professionals from the Triangle with grad students from Duke, Central and UNC.

And while the group is multiracial in its organizers and members, it draws a uniquely strong presence among young African-American professionals and students (and counts powerful local, largely Af-Am law firm and Durham Committee stalwarts Perry, Perry & Perry among a dozen or so sponsors.)

The complaint? An event at Cuban Revolution on Wednesday night that left some members of TYPE feeling dissatisfied with their experience. TYPE member Stephanie Baker posted this account, excerpted below, to Facebook, a message that's drawn almost 90 comments and replies at this writing:

The conversation was great, graduate students, attorneys, entrepreneurs, business folks, lots of connections were made that evening. Sure, it was annoying that when someone got out of their seat to go meet another person or use the restroom, the waitress would inquire if they were leaving and emphasize they hadn't paid their tab...seriously? We all left, acknowledging it was a pretty good evening...and then comes the craziness.

The next morning, the organizer of our event received a phone call from one of the owner's of Cuban Revolution and the dialogue was as follows:

Let me be very frank with you, I did not like your crowd last night. They were very rude and didn't buy enough food. They were rude to my staff. We don't do events like that. I had told you so and thought you understood, but if you ever come to my restaurant again, I will have you arrested for trespassing." "Excuse me?", I inserted.

"I don't understand", I explained.

The owner closed, "Listen, you don't have to understand! You and your friends are not welcome at my restaurant. If you ever do, I will have you arrested for trespassing. It is private property. That's it."

And, as I was saying ok, "he hung up.  [....]

I'm not sure what he meant by "enough" food, but I do know that the majority of people in attendance ordered something. I also know that there was nobody waiting for a table at the restaurant and that the restaurant would have been empty if we had not been there. Again, I understand as servers you want to turn your tables over fairly quickly to increase sales and tips, but like I said, no one was waiting for a table.

The choice of words, the tone of the conversation, and the threats from the owner of Cuban Revolution was totally unjustified. If he was unhappy with something, there were so many other ways he could have addressed it. I hope that you will take a moment and consider the happenings and come to your own conclusions about why something of this nature might have occurred. Personally, I think it was motivated by the fact that we were all black.

BCR reached Cuban Revolution owner Ed Morabito over the weekend, who apologized for what he twice described as his "boneheadedness" over the Thursday morning phone call, though the owner strongly denied that any racial antagonism was at play.

While not going into details akin to this claimed by the event organizer, Morabito described the call as a poorly-chosen reaction to an event which he said was not fully confirmed, in his mind.

"We should have made it clear -- and I thoguht I had, right at the end [early Wednesday[ before he had this function -- that we really weren't set up for it, and other than a catered buffet or catered per-person event, we really weren't in the business of doing any other kind of event," Morabito said.

The owner noted that the event, originally slated for 300 and then 150 people, was to his mind not confirmed for Wednesday night beyond a small group of perhaps ten people that TYPE organizer CJ Broderick said he'd bring in to the restaurant.

"To make a long story short, I was a litle bit caught off-guard that he had the event at our place," Morabito said, citing staffing and liability concerns over the presence of a large group. "Any event like that, we tend to want to have a contract in hand, know exactly what we're doing, know what our obligations are" so that all parties are "all on the same page," he said.

"When I had learned that there were that many people in the restaurant, that we were not really planing for, I did have a conversation with him," Morabito continued. "But my boneheadedness is not disciminatory, trust me. It was not directed toward them for any reasons other than I thought we were caught off guard."

Morabito noted that he hadn't been aware of TYPE's predominately African-American nature, and added that he was particularly struck, in the wake of this past week's focus on Harvard professor Skip Gates' arrest in Cambridge, Mass., as to how his reaction might have looked from the group's perspective.

The restrauteur elaborated more in an email reply to Baker (also excerpted below) that has also been posted to the Facebook thread:

While I consider myself a very progressive individual and take pride that my restaurant's music selection includes spoken passages from speeches by and artwork of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, your words have struck a chord.

I have watched with a certain degree of horror as the media reported Professor Gates' arrest. I have also read of the feeble attempt of the law enforcement officials as they attempted to explain their actions.

If my actions suggest, as they apparently did, that anyone of any skin color is not welcome in my restaurant, I do sincerely apologize for my lack of sensitivity. Although unintended, you and others have every right to feel offended.

Thank you for your eloquent letter. It has definitely made me rethink the entire situation. I am going to place a call to CJ and apologize for my actions and words.

BCR attempted to find out from other diners at Cuban Revolution what events transpired last Wednesday; a reader dined there earlier (in the 6pm hour) and confirmed that the restaurant was largely empty in advance of the TYPE group's arrival.

We also attempted on Sunday evening to reach TYPE organizer CJ Broderick; we'll post an update to the story once we have a chance to speak with him.

A follow-up message from Baker on the thread confirmed that she and presumably some of TYPE's leaders would be meeting with representatives from Cuban Revolution and possibly American Tobacco in the coming weeks to continue a dialogue on the matter.

Meanwhile, for Morabito -- who's taking a big step in unfamiliar territory with the opening of a new Durham restaurant that burst onto the scene with little prep time and has reportedly been shuttling staff and management between its Rhode Island base and the Bull City -- the restaurateur is quick to point out that he's not seeking to alienate Durham's diverse population.

Heck, Morabito says, the revolution-focused theme has even turned off some of his white customers, he noted ruefully:

"[Friday] a couple came into the restaurant and they alerted one of my servers that they were leaving because they heard one of Malcolm X's speeches come up," Morabito told BCR. "So, you know, to be accused of racial discrimination of any sort was a surprise to me."

What's that we said about controversy being good for business?

Update: One of the servers involved in waiting on the group wrote into BCR with their perspective:

I took over a 10-person table around 10:00 PM when one of the other waiters was getting off work. I was told that he had closed out the people that had already eaten and that some new people had just sat down. The people were coming in in shifts and at first the new people occupied nearby tables at their own choice and since the restaurant was not crowded, I didn't object and let them spread out as they chose. One group had a baby so they wanted to have their own space and I accommodated them with complimentary bread for the baby and a high chair. Another group of three individuals expanded out to a separate table and I helped them as well. I continued to help the people at the large table as they came in. Another table sat themselves adjacent to the large table after a little while. I brought everyone everything they asked for in a timely fashion. I accommodated everyone with separate checks that wanted one.

Most of those "satellite" tables asked for their checks before the larger 10-person table in the middle. CJ left his tab open, though the other people at the table he sat at paid their tab and left. He took his drink over to the other side of the restaurant. When one customer at the 10-person table asked for his tab, I brought the other two open checks I had at that table. One was for a Tanqueray and Tonic and one was for a Chicken Empanada. It didn't seem crazy to me to bring over the open checks for that table at the same time, especially since at this point it was about 11:30 and the restaurant closes at midnight. About the same time that I brought their checks, the individual that had the Chicken Empanada went to the other side of the restaurant. So, I did keep an eye on her because if she did forget that she had ordered that item then I would have to pay for it. When she paid her tab, she did not leave a tip.

CJ paid his tab with me at the very end of the night. He had two Jack Daniels and Coke, which totaled $12. He left a $2 tip.

Comments

[GreenLantern]

Unless you were there that evening, as was the case with Mr. Gates, no one really knows what went on or what was said. We know that Mr. Morabito called to apologize profusely, and allegedly said he was being "boneheaded", but that's all. On the surface, it sounds like there was some misunderstanding on his part, and perhaps he has a volitile temperament.

I went to the restaurant for lunch last Friday. I ordered some Ropa Vieja off the dinner menu and a beer which ended up being around $23. My opinion of the food was underwhelmed, as the amount of carne de vaca on my plate was very stingey in ratio to the amount of riso. The Cuban toast was VERY salty and indedible, but the sweet plantains were delicious. The restaurant was nearly 80% full, while Saladelia and the Asian Bistro were nearly deserted at noon. The restaurant's decor did not remind me of anything controversial, other than a painting of Che, along with JFK and Marilyn. There was a film running about the Civil Rights Movement, perhaps with Malcom X or MLK, I don't remember since I sat outside.

My verdict so far, is that while the food tasted good and the atmosphere is pleasant and rather non-controversial, the prices are too high for the substance you get, so I doubt I'll be back but a few more times to give them another chance. I have the same complaint with regards to many "upscale" digs around town. When I order a meat dish in the US, I expect to be served a generous portion of meat, unless I'm in Cuba, or China, or Vietnam, etc.

[Mollusc]

Our first and only experience at Cuban Revolution was not the best. It certainly does not make me want to rush back there or recommend it to anyone. Symposium had a bad reputation for service and unfortunately it seems that Cuban Revolution is following suite. The food was good but the service was lacking. Our waiter was extremely uniformed about the menu and the items offered (the beer list was still at the printers was his reasoning for not knowing what beers were offered).

As a former resident of the ATC, I was sad to see that this new restaurant seemed like more of the same. More of the same poor service and over priced food as with the previous Symposium restaurant.

Maybe the opening should have been delayed in order for the restaurant to be prepared to provide service that matches the price of the items on the menu.

[Jeremy T]

I've got no first hand knowledge of this, but reading between the lines it sounds like (for whatever reason) the restaurant ended up with a larger party than the owner felt it could handle. I'm sure that's a source of frustration, but it can't be good PR to ban potential customers from the establishment one week after it opened.

As an aside, I think it's always going to be difficult for an outsider to break into the restaurant scene in Durham with an "upscale" establishment. Our dining options are not only high quality but generally affordable, which puts a huge burden on quasi-upscale joints like Symposium and (it sounds like) Cuban Revolution to justify their higher prices.

It's probably tempting to look at Durham and see very few "high end" places, and to imagine that there's a gap there just waiting to be filled. That couldn't be further from the truth, though: our competition is so fierce that it keeps menu prices low, even at places that could demand a premium in other markets.

[Natalie]

We tried out Cuban Revolution. After I handed the waiter my credit card, with my utterly feminine name printed on it, he handed it back to my male partner and thanked him for dining with them that evening.

Add to it that the food was bland, came out in the wrong order way too long after we ordered it, and was a bit pricey, we left thinking, darn, we could have driven to Carmen's in Morrisville, eaten good food, and made it back home sooner.

Won't be going back.

[Carolyn]

Just as clarification for the event, there were about 20 guests that came and went...this was communicated to the restaurant ahead of time as documented by emails between the owners and the organizer of the event.

[K. W.]

If they weren't there supporting the business and just using the space for a meeting, why didn't they go to a library or a conference room and not a place of business that's open to make money? That's rude and inconsiderate to any business. And if there's a lot of people and only a few eating, then as a waiter, hell yes I'd be mad that I have to fetch free water all night for people who have no intention of ordering something and/or tipping me. What Ms. Baker claims is hearsay and there's not enough valid facts to keep me from supporting their business as an actual paying customer. I love Cuban Food and can't wait to try it out.

[Caryl]

My friends were at the small (~20 people) event last Wednesday. I am disturbed and perturbed by the way that they were treated both during and after the event. Cuban Revolution's response just solidifies my poor opinion of them.

In addition to this mistreatment, I had tried the place a few weeks earlier and found the food to be pricey and less than stellar. I ordered the sweet potato fries and received about 20 fries on a butter dish for ~$5. Then, I was served a cup of black beans instead of a bowl of black bean soup. Bread was so salty I thought I might swell. There are many better places within walking distance.

I won't be back. If I can help it, my friends will never return either.

[Tia]

To Carolyn,

I happened to be there that night. For you not to have been there you sure are making a lot of assumptions. There are a number of groups that have these events for young professionals. I have been attending these events for over 5 years with various groups at various establishments. My bill is always $30+. Cuban Revolution definitely made money from the event. This is not a library event. This is an event where whosoever will comes out to eat, drink, and network. This was not a group sitting around drinking water. This is no different from a large group of friends deciding they are going out for the evening. We are not talking about hundreds of people here. We are talking about 20-30 people.

[JB]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ are you kidding me? I wish I could launch a facebook web page for every time I was dissappointed when I went out to eat. Treated harshly by a waiter? Gee, that's a new one as well. Had a mixup with a restaurant for a reservation or group event? First time that's had to happen as well. Been unhappy with a dish at a restaurant? Yep, been there also (last night at Applebees). The owners of Cuban have already apologized. Obviously nothing racial here. Next story please. Folks, get a grip.

[Michael Bacon]

Tia,

Just FYI, the commenter's name is below the post. The post you were respoding to was written by "K.W."

[Jenny]

so basically, in his apology, he is saying "I was not prepared for 20 people in my large, empty restaurant."

Let's assume his side of the story is true and say that the event wasn't properly communicated to him beforehand. Let's assume he was not biased that the group was African American.

What are we left with? A restaurant owner who says that his large, new fancy empty restaurant that "seeks to spark conversation" doesn't want groups of customers looking for a venue to drink, hang out and talk. Maybe this is a business strategy that works in the Northeast, but I don't see it working in Durham.

Don't let the door hit you on your ass on your way back to Rhode Island, Ed!

[Tia]

Thanks Michael Bacon! That was for you K.W. Think I have it right this time :-) Sorry Carolyn! :-)

[bb]

Er, can anybody recommend a good veterinarian in Durham? (great neighborhood listserv subject changer) :-)

[Jeremy T]

Jenny: a party of 20 would be brutal in any circumstance.

Restaurants operate on assumptions of queues and phased utilization that presumes a generally steady trickle of people through the system. If you've ever gone to a restaurant and had to wait to be seated, even though seats are empty, it's not because the restaurateur is being a jerk - it's because some part of the restaurant is at capacity, and that's quite possibly a part that you can't even see.

The assumption is that you'll have a steady stream that processes through the queue at a generally predictable rate, so you staff each component based on the peak rate (not on capacity). You can't staff each system (billing, waitstaff, cookstaff, etc) for maximum theoretical concurrency, or you'd be overbuilt for almost all situations. Instead, you queue (with reservations and waiting) such that you can provide good service with a fewer resources.

Now, what does an unexpected party of 20 do to that? Every aspect of their meal is now a bottleneck, since you likely didn't build for that kind of concurrency. It'll potentially ruin the experience for anybody else who comes in.

Back to Cuban Revolution: they probably don't have extensive data on optimal staffing levels yet, but they probably aren't keeping a bunch of people around doing nothing either. The owner probably has a general notion of what to expect and has staffed accordingly.

The way this post reads, the party of 20 thought they had things planned out, and the owner didn't. I can't speak to that. But if the owner really wasn't expecting them, he was in a bind: does he turn down business and send them away, or does he struggle to make it work? It sounds like he did the latter, which (in retrospect) didn't work out too well. But, it's kind of a no-win situation.

[Jason]

I tried Cuban revolution with my wife about a week and a half ago and it was okay, but definitely suffering from signs of being new and not well run (at least not yet). I expected that for a new restaurant, but it was still noticeable and had I been in a different mood, I might have left, as we noticed others doing as well.It took about 3-4 minutes to get a hostess to come to the front of the restaurant, but once she arrived, we were seated promptly. The seating is pretty tight and cramped. The food was actually pretty good though. However it's not a place I'd take any republican friends, parents, etc since the menu is littered with anti-Bush administration (seriously? you're past time to get over it) text and pseudo-data about the number of troops killed in Iraq. Kind of odd. I noticed one young couple (who were both Africa-American) had a very difficult time getting a waitress's attention and left after only receiving a water and not being able to put in an order in a timely way. Another older Caucasian couple sat down and mumbled a few comments and then left, I think because they got seated in the cramped area that we were in, rather than a bigger table. I might go back if I really want the food or some friends convince me to go, but its nothing you can't find elsewhere.

[Kevin Davis]

@JB: I actually wrestled a fair amount with the newsworthiness of this -- simply because "bad customer experiences" can be a rabbit-hole for online conversation that's hard to back out of. Simply put, as I think you're getting at, not every customer complaint is newsworthy (in fact, most aren't.)

I decided to run this based on the amount of online attention the story was getting on Facebook; the thematic tie-in to existing issues raised by the Latino community that have been discussed in the comments; and the nature of my interview with Ed Morabito on Saturday.

I hope to some extent to have presented both sides to the story as best as possible -- allowing both the concerns from the group that held the event and the response from the owner to have a hearing.

It is a thorny issue and, frankly, one of the more difficult ones in terms of decision-to-publish that I've wrestled with in nearly three years of running BCR. In the end, though, the mutual desire for dialogue from both parties struck me as important -- and something that was already "trailing" the story on Facebook and in the many emails I received on the story.

Thanks to all for the comments on this. And as always, I welcome feedback on the nature and range of stories covered at BCR. My contact info's on the About page.

[Kat L]

Having waited tables for many years, I can say from experience that this party sounds like a nightmare. It's difficult enough waiting on a party of 20 when they all arrive and leave together and are all on the same check. 20 people coming and going whenever they please on separate checks is a huge inconvenience not only to the servers but also to the other customers. Unless they've worked in a restaurant, people never seem to understand the hassle it is to split checks for large parties. It completely ties up the computer system, resulting in slower service for the rest of the customers. I also understand why the servers had to check on the unpaid tabs every time someone left the table. It's nothing personal. 20 separate checks is a confusing mess, especially when the customers are coming and going the entire time. Also, just because the "majority of people in attendance ordered something" does not mean they ordered enough to make this party worth the trouble. Because I don't know what kind of agreement was reached before the event, I can't say whether the owner overreacted or not. All I know is that I would never want to wait on a party like this one, and it would have nothing to do with race.

[Jenny]

Jeremy:

1) the party of 20 was not a "sit down all at one table and eat a meal" party. It was people coming and going, ordering from the bar.

Seriously, if a restaurant of that size can't handle that, I don't see how they can succeed.

2) Even if it caught him off guard and was not something the restaurant could handle, who in their right mind calls up an organizer -- who is trying to bring you business -- and tells the person if he returns he will be *arrested* for trespassing?

For me, the racial undertones are obvious, even in the weird "we play malcolm X on the jukebox" apology. But assuming that's not correct, it still sounds like he is a, well, "boneheaded" business person.

[Kat L]

Jenny:

A "sit down all at one table and eat a meal" party of 20 is much easier to serve than 20 people coming and going, ordering from the bar. Any restaurant server will tell you that.

[LizD]

I understand what you all are saying re: how large groups can be a challenge ... but I know the organizer and he happens to also be a small business/cafe owner so I think he is understanding of the point of the view of the restaurant. In any case, I think the bottom line is that, even in a worst-case scenario (the group was terrible, a pain for the waiter, etc) I just can't see how it's appropriate to threaten that the organizer of the event with arrest.

[Elizabeth T.]

I'm with you, LizD. It doesn't make sense to me that a business owner would screw his business this way. So the group was not what he expected. Don't let them book again! But to call the group leader and threaten them is not only mean-spirited but stupid. Now none of the members will ever go back as individuals. Did he think the group leader wouldn't tell everyone in the group what he said? Sheer idiocy!

[realist]

All details aside (I will spare myself the back and forth that has gone on thus far)--it is RIDICULOUS to threaten a customer to be arrested for trepassing with no clear explanation as to what he has (or his "friends" have) done. The restaurant owner's property was not damaged, the bar/food tab was not left unpaid, and as of Wednesday night--the owner event didn't seem to have a problem. Open your eyes and be realistic (esp Tia)--have you even been threatened with trepassing charges as part of any of your dining experiences? I think not. Moving along...

[CJ Broderick]

On Tueday, the night before the event, I stopped by at 11pm or so to check on Wednesday's reservations post 7pm. I was taking extra precautions to make sure they were in fact ready for us, and that it would be a pleasant experience.

The restaurant was empty and I talked to the floor manager. Katelin, the floor manager, did not have any idea about the event. She was from one of the Rhode Island CR restaurants and admitted that she could just be uninformed. I asked Katelin to simply make a reservation for me for a 10-top at 8pm. I then described the planned event to Katelin and asked that she notify her staff and manager/owners so that we were on the same page. She responded that she would and her staff would be ready.

The next morning was my first introduction to Ed Morabito. He called me at 9am to ask some questions, it seems. He introduced himself as the owner of CR was immediately rude.

He stated that he had gotten a lot of calls from 'promoters' to do private late night events and that he had recently decided to not do ANY late night private events. (Keep in mind, this is the day of the event, Wednesday morning at 9am). He didn't give me much of a chance to speak. He verified that there was no cover charge and no contract obligations on his part. He rushed off the phone.

An hour later, en route to a mtg in Chapel Hill, I called Ed Morabito back. I was more awake now. I explained to Ed that I understood his position, as I am also a restaurant/bar owner. I assured him that his restaurant would operate per usual and that my group was simply there to dine and socialize. I explained that his worries about charging at the door, etc. were misplaced. He ensured me that our guests would be warmly welcomed, etc.

All was set and I felt like we were on the same page.

The event went well, I thought. CNN's "Black in America pt. 1" aired that night and many people decided to stay home and watch it. So, about 30 pp came to the event. My table of 10 filled up quickly and soon other tables of 8 and 6 also filled up.

I'm not picky, so the food was ok. I encouraged my table to be extra lenient as the restaurant was new. I remember joking with the waitress that sangria typically doesn't have ice in it... but we didn't send it back.

I spent about $30 and left a 30% gratuity. Most of my group left at 11:45.

I had noticed Ed and Mary in the restaurant around 10pm. I imagined that at some point in time, I would say hello or they would stop by our table and say hello. Neither occurred and by the time I thought twice, they were gone.

When I arrived home at 12:30am, I noticed my phone had died. Upon plugging it into the charger, I noticed some voicemails. One was from Ed. He asked that I call him back. I thought someone had left a credit card or something, so I called back immediately, both Ed's cell (which he called me from) and the restaurant. No answer.

The next morning, around 10am, Ed called back. This is when Ed told me he didn't "like my crowd". We had not tipped, not spent enough money, and were not welcome back. When I interjected with "I don't understand", Ed stated, "You don't need to understand, it's my restaurant, and it's private property.... the next time you set foot in my establishment, you will be arrested for trespassing".

I was stunned, shocked, surprised beyond belief...

I've been up and down the East coast since then with family. I just spoke with Ed, who now wants to meet and have a discussion at his restaurant. Hmmmm!

I should be back in Durham this weekend to have a fundraiser on saturday for D3 Community Outreach's Youth Empowerment. So, we'll probably meet Monday evening...

In summary, I believe Ed's threats to me were racially motivated. After his phone threat, I emailed Mary (and Ed) to state my surprise. He has yet to respond to my email and explain his threats and comments.

hope this helps...

[CJ Broderick]

part one of above post...sorry

Greetings! I'm the organizer, so I thought I would add a few words...

I spoke with Mary Morabito, wife of the owner several times prior to the event, in person and by email. On July 8th, we agreed that I would invite a group of young professionals to her restaurant. I went through the trouble to make sure there was neither a home baseball game nor a DPAC performance.

I told Mary that I was unsure how many people would attend, that this would be a great chance to introduce some friends to her restaurant. After informing her that I would invite over 1000 people and expect 50-100 to show up, Mary wanted to rent me the restaurant and give me a $3000 minimum, of which I'd pay at least $1500 in advance.

I responded to Mary, saying that since her restaurant would be open anyways during those hours for walk-in business, the best plan was to give me just take tables as they walked in. No contract, no minimum, just free advertising.

Mary agreed via email and the event was set.

[KW]

I completely agree with all of you including Tia.
The bottom line is no owner should act like that.

read reviews on carpedurham.com,
'nuff said.

http://carpedurham.com/2009/07/06/cuban-revolution/

[Jersey Mike]

If worked in d/t Durham for 10 years. As much as we need a nightlife, we don't need this.

We ate at CR on the evening July 4th. It was mediocre, and the service was bush league (I'm not talking the grunts, I'm talking the professional staff bussed in from the North who kept hovering and fussing over everything, making their frustrated presence very known when they should have been invisible). Sangria? Wine from a box. It's been about 20 years, but I can still remember how to make a white Sangria that is tasty and will impress - it ain't rocket science.

Opening week jitters? Ok, that's understandable. But I've worked in the restaurant business and have experienced the anxiety of a few openings... what happened with TYPE? I wouldn't even expect that from a first time restauranteur. No excuse for that behavior. Oh he's right, it's private property and he can establish any rules he likes. Keep it up and CU will quickly become very private. Makes me pine for Symposium (which was awful)

[Kevin Davis]

The main post has been updated with the perspective of one of the staff members working in the restaurant and waiting on the group on Wednesday. It's worth a read.

[Motisa]

As a former long-time restaurant server, I have to say this party sounded like a nightmare.

[Moe Rivera]

Why is this a racial issue? If the owner is an asshole then the owner is an asshole.. Does he have to be a racist as well? Bottom-line: If this man was discriminating, he wouldn't have let TYPE get served. Maybe it's the person, not the skin color.
oh btw. Cuban revolution's service is horrible.

[L]

Sounds like there's significant miscommunication going on, but I was not there so I can't take sides.
I do know, however, that CR's food isn't very good - the empanadas and flan I had were clearly out of a cardboard frozen food box. Trust me, no amount of caramel (and there was a lot!) can mask the flavor of cardboard. The fried plantains were great, but that's not enough to keep me coming back.
As for the decor, the owners clearly have an opinion - if it's not to your liking you shouldn't go there because it's EVERYWHERE: the walls, video monitors, menus, even over the sound system.

[DB]

WOW Kevin!! I was wondering why you were asking if any one ate at CR last Wed. I was there from around 5:30-7pm with a business colleague, and it was relatively slow the entire time.

I think CR is getting a direct and honest reflection of the Durham culture. This city is very community focused (i.e. current post on a blog) and news travels quickly. After eating at CR two times for dinner within the past week and a half, I will naturally be reluctant to support this establishment in the future based on the owner's harsh comments to a customer.

In the restaurant business, you get unexpected nights, but you deal with it. You do your best to turn the night into a positive experience and work with the group to come back again but PLAN ACCORDINGLY!! Thus you keep the business coming!! There is no excuse for the owner's "boneheaded" statements, and unfortunately he's reaping what we sowed...

[Mollusc]

JB:

How would you react if the of Applebees threaten to have you arrested for trespassing? This isn't about a restaurant and poor service or food that wasn't prepared properly. You can even take the racism factor out if that makes you feel better.

This is about a business owner threatening a customer without warrant.

"I had told you so and thought you understood, but if you ever come to my restaurant again, I will have you arrested for trespassing."

Give me a break... all they had to do was decline the group the next time they wanted to reserve some space.

Unfortunately for Cuban Revolution the owner sounds like a jerk and a poor business man.

Apology or not... this was not handle well from the start.

[Tia]

I did read the addition to the post. I am the young lady that came with my husband and child. It seems that out of the 20-30 people, one person did not leave a tip. That is bad taste, and MAYBE even rude, but it does not justify any of the actions by the owner. I thought that once we were seated at another table, that we were pleasant and so was the waitress. She was funny in fact, as she was asking what she could get for the baby, and then she states "cause I don't know anything about babies." Other than the one person who did not tip, I wonder what conduct was considered rude. I consider myself to be fair, so I would be interested to know.

[Tia]

And Realist, I think you did the same as I did earlier. I think you were responding to JB - I hope anyway :-)

[Tia]

BTW I don't know if the comments by the waitress are intended to be read in between the lines that there was hardly any food being ordered. However, I don't think it to be fair just to call out some orders. The main table was behind me, so I do not know what their orders consisted of. I know that the table in front of mine (about 6 people) kept ordering tapas and drinks, and they were still ordering when we left. Also, we ordered the jibarrito steak sandwich, chicken wrap, and the large plate of steak. We tried to order a carafe of Sangria, but was told by the bus boy we had to ask the server directly. By the time the server returned to the table, we were about ready to leave.

[waitress]

Tia: It was not meant to be read that they hadn't ordered anything, just that those two smaller checks were they only ones open at the table when someone else at that table had asked for their check, so I didn't think it was weird to bring them as well. Sorry I didn't check up on you in time for Sangria. My bad.

[CJ Broderick]

I think our second server was Aurellia... the first one was a middle aged man that had been there since 11am and had to leave at 10.

I believe I ordered 2 jack and cokes with the first waiter, paid $12+2tip with that guy. I usually tip $1 a drink.

Then with Aurellia, there were 2 more Jack and Cokes at $12+2 tip.

Then while walking around, there was another Jack and coke from the bar for $6+1 tip.

That would equate to $30 and $5 tip. When you add the $5 cash tip at my table, that would be $30 and $10 tip. That seems pretty decent to me. Since I do own a bar and also work as an engineer, I believe I understand tipping and math pretty well.

Here are some things that were strange that night:
- having to close my tab with waiter one to reopen with waiter 2.

- the owners seated and chatted with multiple other tables, but never made it to our section of the restaurant. Someone brings in 20+ people to your restaurant during dead hours and you don't shake their hand or check on your guests?

- Every time someone stood up to use the restroom, they were chased with their tab, or the person left at the table was asked, "is he coming back?" Aurellia was so nervous about getting stuck with the bill. Before leaving, I walked over to Aurellia and verified that everything was ok. She sat by the kitchen on a high chair, seemingly daydreaming. I let her know we were heading out and thanked her for her service..

[Robin]

My objection to CR was that they played images of Che's dead, rotting body over their customers' heads. Appetizing? NOT! I'm no Che groupie, but I find that using a corpse to promote your business is deeply troubling. Are we all so calloused that we ignore this or shrug (as the female manager, apparently the wife of the owner, did when I brought this up). CR should sell tickets to the Bodies exhibit with their appetizers...

[Jon]

CJ,

What bar do you own?

Jon

[Major Toro]

Everyone seems agreed that the CR is not the most spacious space.

Jason notes, "The seating is pretty tight and cramped."

I'm confused. CJ states:

"The owners seated and chatted with multiple other tables, but never made it to our section of the restaurant."

but then mentions the owners didn't come visit his party, "during dead hours."

In Kevin's original post, quoting TYPE member Stephanie Baker's Facebook post, Baker says "the restaurant would have been empty if we had not been there."

But CJ stated that the owners were hanging with "multiple other tables." So was it dead or not?

CR's website states it seats over 170. CJ told Mary he would invite 1000, of which he anticipated a 5-10% show rate (50-100). Apparently for a crowd that would take 1/3 to more than 1/2 of the restaurant, she offered to rent the group a space. CJ declined, preferring instead just to show up as walk-ins. He states that "the event was set." But was it really? His other post, in which he showed up at 11 PM the night before and met with Katelin, indicates he only then reserved his own table of 10.

It seems CJ didn't want to be on the hook for $1500-$3000 for the event. And it seems the Morabito's didn't want to host a speculative event. Apparently all parties assumed the other parties were in agreement, but those assumptions appeared deeply flawed.

Ed Morabito apologized and acknowledged his self-described "boneheadedness," but his statement to Kevin seems to substantiate the basics of the unfortunate event as described by CJ and Stephanie Baker.

Did Morabito boneheadedly threaten to have CJ arrested for trespassing in the future? So far we've only heard one side making that claim. As the proprietor, Morabito can certainly refuse to serve anyone of his choosing and, if need be, have any person not vacating his premises arrested for trespassing. That seems unlikely, given the bad publicity and his own tenure as a restaurateur.

But time will tell...I think CR needs to come up with something more compelling than some tasty tostones so as not to go the route of Symposium.