marxist-vegan-restaurant-closes in Michigan

[98valk]

http://heatst.com/culture-wars/marxist-vegan-restaurant-closes-after-customers-no-longer-willing-to-wait-40-minutes-for-a-sandwich/

A “Marxist” “collectivist” “worker-run” restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan, closed its doors this week after customers complained that they could no longer tolerate the bizarre hours, high prices and long lines.

The Garden Diner and Cafe—previously known as the Bartertown Diner—featured a vegan, vegetarian and raw food menu that had met with significant national acclaim. But the restaurant’s business model, which did not allow for bosses or managers, promised a “living wage” to all employees and a strong union, did not allow the restaurant to make enough profit to stay in business.

People frequently noted on the restaurant’s Facebook page that they waited more than 40 minutes for a sandwich—and that’s when the diner was even open. Because the employees set the shop’s hours by group decision, the restaurant opened and closed at random times, leaving potential sandwich buyers totally confused.

Even Bartertown’s inclusive, progressive politics couldn’t please everyone in their community. When the diner offered a free meal to Grand Rapids police officers as a “thank you” for keeping their neighborhood safe, local socialists complained that the business was abrogating its core ideals by siding with fascists and supporting “nearly all-white police force in this era of police violence.”

So, in a no-win situation, and discovering first hand the troubles that have plagued Communism for more than a century, the restaurant was forced to close its doors. As one community member put it, they discovered that “you can’t make payroll and your bills with Facebook and Tumblr ‘likes.'”

The owner, for his part, is admitting his mistake. When asked what his next venture would be, he told MLive.com that he was “taking a vacation.”

How bourgeois.

[GiG]

I heard they had the nastiest Fur Burgers around...

[Pappy!]

Now, Gig, that simply "taint" true.....!

[Gavin_Sons]

I heard they had the nastiest Fur Burgers around...

Ernie Furglers Fur burgers?  Look it up if you don't know what that is 

[LTD]

The Detroit mad man is at it again. Damn that was hilarious lmao.

[John Schmidt]

Some days when I read these post I just sit, chuckle, and shake my head. Usually don't respond but nothing on TV at the moment....so..... 

What a bunch!!!!   

[The emperor has no clothes]

I heard they had the nastiest Fur Burgers around...

Isn't beaver considered a meat ?

[Rams]

It all comes down to paying the bills and being competitive.   Capitalism versus Socialism, Capitalism wins out every time.    But, let's not forget the "it's all about me" ingredient in this recipe.   Giving employees such authority is pretty stupid.  

A publicly owned corporation I once worked for wanted to give employees more of a role in how the business was run.   OK, I can handle that up to a certain point.  

Well, the facility that I eventually became the manager of had a manager that bought fully into this, allowed the employees to set their own work schedules, gave every employee a key to the facility and empowered them to get their work done (on time) with out any quality checks, order supplies and a whole bunch of "normal" manager duties.   Additionally, product, supplies and tools seemed to be walking off for some undetermined reason.  This was not the "corporation's" intent.   The facility's margin disappeared, customers found other more reliable vendors and his demise was self inflicted.   Took over a year to return the facility back to it's former self.     Two years further down the road and the facility was named the "Crowned Jewel" of the corporation's smaller facilities.

That ended up a facility with satisfied customers, a good margin and a different culture where everyone was expected to pull their own weight when I left.   Wasn't all due to me, much credit must be given to the new culture installed and several new employees and a supervisor or two that understood that responsibility and accountability are also ingredients of success.

[Alpha Dog]

This country's first experiment in this wonderful socialism took place in the Pilgrims first year.  All were to work and all went to the community store ( as deemed the best way to pay the parent sponsor company back in Europe ).  William Bradford wrote about  its miserable failure, and the food shortage calamity it caused in the winter.   He was most displeased that that the younger men that were stronger and more able did not produce as they should have been able to.

The next spring he gave all families or single members individual plots of lands in which they were responsible for to feed their individual selves.  With any surplus they were free to trade off or sell.  William Bradford wrote that this worked very well and the food was plentiful enough from then on.

Yes American Capitalism was off and running.  This is the part of the Pilgrim story that very few know.  I doubt schools teach it, but they should.

[Romeo]

Damn, and I was hoping Stitch was going to have a ride in to the place this summer.
Not sure if it's still this way but I think Lincoln Electric, the welder manufacturer is the other side of the coin. They used to let employees work all they wanted or as little as they wanted. Didnt offer paid vacations but let folks take time off without pay anttime they saw fit. I believe I read it was a common occurance for folks on the line to make six figures annually. They gave people every incentive to work and no incentive to take time off. Wonder if thats still the case?