The cat is out of its bag. OXO has been sold and it is no more. We don’t know the details on the new owner or the plans, but we are sad to see it go. I wish the new owner could come on here and let us know his plans. If anyone knows him send him this way!
While we did get an anonymous tip about 2 months ago regarding OXO being on the auction block, we didn’t believe it. Sorry birdie.. you were right.
Let’s recap OXO’s brief history.
August 5th, 2007 - cVillain’s Iron discovers the late night scene at OXO. We rave that “people were actually dancing!” We also critique some of the shortcomings of a restaurant that had little experience with the late night scene.
September 7th, 2007 - OXO learns how to walk, starts to advertise and we send our spies. At that point we were almost as young as OXO, but we saw potential. OXO was hawt.
November 19th, 2007 - OXO grows too big for its own britches. We feel bad because we loved it too much and it turned into one of those problem children. You can read the post, but “You had so much potential, so much independence, so much going for you. You almost had it just right. But you failed to listen and now you are not what I desire.” Things would change for the better.
January 19th, 2008 - The dancing gets dangerous. Drinks are banned on the dance floor.
Spring 2008 - Not sure when exactly, but OXO introduced the infamous Velvet Rope and VIP cards.
April 21st, 2008 - OXO has its bondage party. We have some pictures and wonder how to get more people in leather.
June 16th, 2008 - Closure. No forewarnings to staff or to us. And like that, she was dead.
It is sad to see one of quickest growing, most frustrating and most exciting late night scenes die in Charlottesville. cVillain will miss friendly faces, a default cVillain hangout, professional service and lots of dancing. OXO, you just matured into a sexy, young adult and you left Charlottesville. Maybe we will get to meet again…for now, au revoir.
*tear*
Popularity: 58% [?]
Tagged as: bar, Charlottesville, closure, Late Night, News, Oxo, Restaurant, Scene
Lets not forget that this was one of the best restaurants in this town for close to 10 years. OXO didn’t open the day everyone started going to late night. It took a lot of talent and dedication from the people who made it what it is/was, particularly from Alice and John.
jeesuz friggin’ christ. just when i thought the music/party scene couldn’t get any more dismal in this town.
WTF?!?!?!
let’s just surrender and invite wal-mart to move onto the downton mall…
super sad face. the first time I went there was in November and I vowed to never return. Needless to say, I went back a lot… a whole lot. where can I go now to feel like a high rolling VIP? where are the after hours hookups gonna happen? daaammmnnnn. I feel like our private villain lair was just destroyed.
@2 - Does walmart allow dancing?
Despite Thor falling out of like with it, a lot of people liked it as both a restaurant and late night spot. There’s now a gaping hole in the downtown restaurant/dance party scene.
@1: oh man, and I never even got any of their supposedly fantastic food. *sigh*
@5, I am a fickle lover. We will miss you guys. Remember, no one’s perfect, but you did it a lot better than the rest and that’s why you were always crowded come weekends.
Yes it blows. Will especially miss my favorite, the bestest bartender in c-ville, shen nay nay igans
Thats such a shame, I had some fun really times at OXO and had hoped to get by and try the food sometime.
I can’t find the right adjective to describe how much this sucks. News like this should not be released until at least Monday afternoon.
Amstel’s stock is down 10% on the news.
Anheuser Busch stock is up 20%.
It is a tragedy, but at least doof and silmo are posting again.
@13: There’s always a silver lining.
@6 me neither
sad on principle as well.
Coran Capshaw Save OXO!
@14: I don’t see it.
Huh? An over-priced, exclusive, Charlottesville-pretentious establishment goes under? I wonder why…
17: ‘CAUSE DOUG NEVER WENT THAT’S HOW COME YEP.
Dougy, how was it exclusive? And compared to Blue Light, X-Lounge, ZoCaLO, it was the same price.
@16: It’s probably not really there. Just trying to be an optimist. Are you ever going to tend bar again?
@17: Didn’t go under. Was sold. Derrr. Nut now we know you’re a sad person.
@18: Thank you for being supportive.
@19: I dunno. Anybody need a bartender? Slightly used but in good condition…
Velvet rope and VIP cards - ‘nough said.
@ 21 - Clearly you were on the wrong side of the rope
I am crushed. No place else in town has the same feel.
Let us turn to the Kübler-Ross model:
1. Denial: “This can’t be happening to us.”
2. Anger: “Why OXO? It’s not fair!”
3. Bargaining: “Just let me live to see OXO for another weekend. I’ll do anything, can’t you stretch it out? A few more weeks.”
4. Depression: “I’m so sad, why bother with dancing or drinking?”
5. Acceptance: “It’s going to be OK. OXO will reopen as a new restaurant and bar called the Phoenix”
So sad. I, too, missed out on ever trying the food. And now I have no idea where I’ll wander to on the weekends and be guaranteed to find people I know and love to hang out with. *sigh*
@23: Only somebody who wan’t cool enough to get in would be bothered by that
@ 25 maybe when they design the Phoenix they can take the late night dancing into account from the beginning and have another bathroom as well as a decent sound system, oh and more make out spots (and while I am at it, they can take the potential bondage theme parties into acoount and put a cage in permanently).
But seriously: how sad. This place has definitely shaped my Charlottesville experience. Since I moved here so many (I count
establishments have closed that made this town unique. Let’s hope Tuffy is right and they will all emerge from the ahes one way or another.
Did people actually get turned away at the door?
dang, some how my “8 in brackets” got turned in to a sunglassed smiley face…. “I count 8″ was what I meant to say
all of you saying “oh i never got to try the food” - maybe that’s why the shit got sold! too few of you were plunking down the benjamins at their tables.
One of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. Goodbye old friend…
@31: I was thinking the same thing, but I too never tried the food, so I didn’t think it appropriate to call them out.
@27 i have a visa platinum card with no limit and a $40 tip for you - does THAT make me cool enough? - cause i think that’s what you meant to say.
Oh, t(h)om, stop being silly. You know I would’ve gotten you in whenever you liked. You were busy not-going-out.
truth be told, I rarely plunked down benjamins for anything in that joint. That’s one reason I’m so sad.
Lol. Shen and Slimo, your comments only strengthens Doug’s point. What motivated the sale, anyhoo: weak economy, buyer with the right price, desire to do something else?
@34: No. Not at all. But thanks for asking.
I have had the food, sadly on too few occasions. Those who haven’t have missed out.
@37, I think its a combination of all three. But thats just me speculating.
@37: The only point Doug is making is that he was on the outside looking in and envies us for our good times. FYI, the owner has been courted by buyers for years. She now works in D.C. and doesn’t need a restaurant in C-ville.
Ugh. Looks like the Hook has the 411 on the closure matter and didn’t waste time tweaking our cVillain noses.
i don’t understand why people don’t give any notice when they close restaurants. seems rude.
/whoever commented, nice!
@42: All the Hook has is a fluffy press release. They don’t really know anything. cVillain had the news up before them.
Yeah I brought that to their attention, as did ****.
All the Hook has is a fluffy press release.
Perhaps, but boy-oh-boy, do they have some good fluffers over there.
/hook, line, sinker
I love the way they reference us as the “new media” and snarkily link to some things OXO supporters said on Saturday, with the best intentions, thereby making fun of our commenters. To that I say, Fuck you Hook.
lol. love it. this is why cvillian rocks.
Wrong spelling my friend.
We should have a Goodbye OXO party at South Street tomorrow. Not that I need a reason to drink on Tuesday, but in case anyone else does.
ack! cVillain, i mean. With my typing skills, I should be a lock for an editor position with “the old media.”
a reason to drink on Tuesday
I mean, I’ll gladly imbibe with her, but it seems ungentlemanly the way you’re suggesting it.
@52: What’s really ungentlemanly is how I invited everyone else to join me.
As the other OXO ladytender, I just want to thank all the cutie pie patrons and die hard dance fiends for the good times. And the bad ones, too. All memorable. xox
Sorry Shen that really sucks- Hope you and all the other fine staff find something you like soon.
@50: Not really up for it but thanks for the thought.
@41 that’s so pre-9/11, being on the inside. these guys were on the “inside”, too, you know.
@56: I understand. I’ll mourn for you.
@57: I miss the connection to 41 aside from the word “inside.”
@57, you need to seek professional help.
i was thinking we could start a new internet meme that referrencing the 9-11 hijackers could be the new “nazi”.
boheme and now oxo, who’s next ??
who’s next ??
The Ponderosa Steakhouse at the foot of Pantops Mountain.
@60: You win “Most innappropriate comment” of the day. Nice job, jackass. Not even relevant.
@61: Rapture
I only ate at OXO once and it was one of the best meals I’ve had in this town.
OXO Afterdark was awesome and definitely a trend setter in terms of late night scenes in town; sad to see it go.
Thanks to all the staff, y’all are awesome an we’ll miss you.
Where will I embarrass myself now?
Frenchy, it better not be you!
@32 I agree, THE best restaurant in Charlottesville. Bye bye Oxo. You made me very happy when I was pregnant.
@63 and “The only point Doug is making is that he was on the outside looking in and envies us for our good times” wasn’t an arrogant thing to say at all.
@64 we can only hope.
@67: You can take it as such because that’s what you want to think. Truth is, most cVillains besides grumbling lurker Doug were able to get in and had a good time.
@69 to be frank, the whole ingroup/outgroup thing lurking beneath the surface of the “velvet rope” comment just rubbed me the wrong way. the “in” crowd of charlottesvile has made the excuse of thinking they’re cool merely for the fact that they are in the practice of excluding people, for whatever reasons. so, maybe Doug chose to exclude himself, but your response seemed to lack compassion. but, maybe today’s not your day to be compassionate. sorry bout that.
@70: I certainly don’t try to exclude people, and I would say most, if not all, of the Villains I have met don’t try to either. We’re all friendly people. It’s just a matter of being introduced or introducing yourself.
@70: Yeah I definitely don’t feel like taking anyone’s whiny bullshit today.
yah, we let echo “in”, how picky/exclusive could we really be?
We let Oy in, how exclusive could we really be?
@73: I’m “in”? What were you thinking?
pshaw, *I* was the original cool-kid villain (after Lilith…)
yah, you’re in. We were gonna tell you and have the induction ceremony tomorrow night at South Street.
and by “induction ceremony” I mean “you’re buying”
Hmm.. Sorry to hear it guys. That sucks. I’ve got to work late tomorrow, but I will most definitely try to make it to SS for an Irish Wake.
@77: This “induction ceremony” sounds like a scam.
you can always choose “induction ceremony” ‘B’ if you prefer - linkypoo
what was that famous line? I Don’t Want to Belong to Any Club That Will Accept People Like Me as a Member
We need to raise money for a new charity: Hot Bartenders without Bars. Proceeds to benefit Shenanigans and Sdot who will serve you Firecrotch and Painkillers. In that order.
We actually don’t have a club; it’s more like a mob of snarky fireants that swarm around honey and booze.
@80: I got nauseous just reading that article. I’ll stick with A
re # 64 You don’t know what you’re talking about. And F cbob.
Say what?!
FF, do you ever have anything nice to say?
Hahaha!
@85: I was told by multiple employees that Rapture was up for sale and has been for a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was next to go.
@ 89 “up for sale” does not equal closing… and however it ended up as the joint all you hipsters hate, I think they are trying to turn it around. its easy to bitch, harder to be part of the solution. just sayin.
@ 87 Unpopular a sentiment as this may be, and as acerbic as this ff’s tone may be at times, he or she has made valid points in the past (”f cbob” not being one of them). just sayin.
/just sayin.
@66
not to worry we are holding strong so far.
@90:There was no anti-Rapture sentiment going on. It was just mentioned in regard to places closing.
Also: Disagree. ff rarely contributes anything interesting and/or pertinent to any conversation.
Insanity, insanity I tell you!
Where on earth will all the villains go. Where oh where to dance?!
/tear, tear
Where oh where to dance
Well you could… oh, never mind. Fuck it. I give up.
/is in a worse mood than shen at the moment.
If everyone gives a little massage to B’YO and Shen, do you think one giant massage will make their day better?
@94: I doubt it.
Oxo you will be missed. I feel like the “Oxo is closing” rumor has gone around at least once a year for the past five years, but I really thought the introduction of Late Night would be a saving grace. Good for John and Alice for selling - it’s a murderous business and they both deserve to finally have a weekend again.
@ 95 Don’t touch me. I’ll cut you.
lys, tell me about it!
/fist bump
Shouldn’t the title of this be “OXOver and Out”?
@99 - whenever I hear about a restaurant closing, I think of this terrible joke that I’ll now subject everyone to…
Two guys are sitting in beach loungers in Boca Raton. The first guy turns to the other and says “You from around here?”
The second guy says “No - I just moved down from the Midwest. I used to own a restaurant but it burned down, so I collected the insurance and retired to Florida.”
The first guy exclaims, “Wow - I just moved down from Jersey. I also owned a restaraunt but it flooded so I collected the insurance retired down here. What a coincidence!”
The second guy smiled and nodded, and then asked “So, how do you start a flood?”
/probably in poor taste due to recent events
//what of my comments aren’t in poor taste?
Too bad about OXO, but I’m sure it feels like the right thing to do for the parties involved. Good luck and much success with whatever’s next.
I’m neither fine dining nor late-night dance party, so I’m not speaking from my personal experience here, but it seems to me like fine dining AND late-night dance would be very hard to pull off. Does anybody have a favorite place that’s done it (aside from OXO)?
Does anybody have a favorite place that’s done it (aside from OXO)?
Why no, I dont. Seems kinda familiar.. but… no… I think OXO was the first and only.
Byo, I feel ya, but Escafé is not fine dining.
@103 It’s dubious fine dining, per se, and not really a *dance* scene, but downstairs Tokyo Rose had a decent run at that equation, too…
Well it fine in a “just fine” way. I don’t understand why it has to be fine in a foodinista way.
And X Lounge pulls it off quite well, methinks. If it weren’t for all those goddamn remixes.
so did they really leave their staff in the lurch as i think i am reading? kind of pitiful if that’s the case - esp when their staff was so great and really helped build the good rep OXO had . . .
But it doesn’t have courses, or amuse-bouches, or mignardises and they don’t crumb your table. X lounge is not really fine dining either, more like international tapas.
Well to be fair, OXO isn’t *any* kind of dining now.
/pity tho it may be
That’s shitty. You wanna promote a place where you work so badly you bring it up even though it’s not relevant to the question. He said fine dining and Escafé is not fine dining even though it is a dance party spot.
Saw Doof’s 3.25am post first thing this morning and spent all day hoping it wasn’t true. John was a great Chef and I had many excellent scoffing sessions at his table. He is also what we call ‘a top geezer’ and I wish him and Alice nothing but success and happiness in their next endeavor.
/really fucking bummed
i thought it was well known that OXO was being sold. i guess just the other restaurants knew that. sorry, Shen. and we were discussing how crappy it was that none of the staff knew- hint to any future restauranteurs: it’s a better situation as a tax write-off than a profitable enterprise. few have the tenacity and passion to make it so. Q: why does Coran keep buying restaurants?
as for Rapture- it’s been “on the market” for at least a year (probably more).
maybe i missed a comment, but Coran bought the restaurant(OXO). A: tax write-off.
it truly sucks for every employee of OXO. it’s a crappy deal.
and as for the fine dining and late night party scene discussion, i sorta think the two can be mutually exclusive. as in, a great late night dancing spot can be held with or without fine dining so if we can get some chamomile tea service for the villians and light a candle to honor the demise of OXO, let’s all sing kumbaya (the remix).
Oh whatever. I didn’t mean it to be shitty. OXO kicked ass and everybody knows it. They also put a lot of energy into getting their dance party right and it showed. It sucks that they are closed. Sucks even more not to give the staff any notice. It sucks suck sucks.
That said, you’ve stuck your firecrotch where it wasn’t relevant time and time again and nobody makes a peep (probably out of fear from the “jackass” treatment). Other than to pitifully promote my scene (which appeals to very few villains anyway) the point I was trying to make was that there is dining of some kind at both snatch and x… pardon if I trod the wrong usage of the word “fine”, I certainly did not mean to take away from the “fineness” of oxo. It was finer than egyptian cotton. I did shell out the bucks to eat there, a couple times, back when Karen was the bartender. It was FINE AS HELL!!! I had more fucking utensils than I knew what to do with, cretin that I am. But “amuse-bouches, or mignardises”? What the hell do these (probably wonderful things) have to do with a late night scene? Did the oldsters and young dollars who appreciated them stay to boogie all night? No. They were two separate entities almost… How many people on this board went out to a hundred dollar meal and then stayed for the dj? None. Same at snatch and x. So what does the “fineness” of the dining have to do with the late night scene? Nothing. Thats all Im saying.
/as penance i will refrain from self promotion here in the future. jesus.
@113: Coran Capshaw bought it? Have I ever mentioned that I think he’s an awesome dude? (Call me Coran, call me).
In the meantime, hey Frenchy, do you still need a Sunday night barmaid?
@114: “So what does the “fineness” of the dining have to do with the late night scene?”
It doesn’t have anything to do with it. He asked if there were any other fine dining places that did late night parties too. And you said Escafé. And I said, that’s not really fine dining. That was the gist of it.
@115 Sorry nay nay we just got somebody on board but i keep you in the loop if anything comes up or if i know anybody needing some help.
@ 116 OK, fine.
@ 103 So dan, aren’t you glad you asked?
@115: ‘nanigans, I want you to get another bartending job, but if it is on a Sunday, I might die.
@119: Problem solved echo. See @117.
@117: Merci quand même!
this all makes me sad. = (
@90: I never said I hated it. I actually think they have the best pool tables around.
@85 cbob would happily be f’ed if that’s an offer?
@121: Is Ten hiring?
P.S. people they are saying shitty things about us over on the Hook.
@123: What did you even do to ff?
shenanigans, I will miss coming to see you!! and your mini skirts!!!
thankfully, you live above me, so on Saturday nights I may be fortunate enough to paint the town red alongside you—or possibly work alongside each other in the near future
@125 I said I wouldnt be upset if Rapture closed. Which is true.
Have no fear little S. Jay la Tête said he’s got some money-making ideas for us. Let’s meet one night this week to talk.
@124 Us as in cvillains, or us as in x-oxo’s. Either way, do we need to summon our collective umbrage? Im down for an e-hooride. Yo thor, pop the trunk…
@ 127 How dare you speak your mind!
@127: OMFG really? Well f you. F this. How could you? I’ma break something.
@129: They’re dissing CVillain. Go get ‘em! Unleash your umbrage and sharp tongue!
@130 f’ed by two cvillains in one day - what a Monday. I just don’t feel one way or the other about the place. But then again I am an emotionless robot, so what do I know.
wow: sdigga and shen. Dreamteam!
just tell me where!
@129 I know, right?
f retro anything, f your tattoos, f all you junkies and f your short memory
/wrists
@133: Yeah, now if we only had a bar. Hey did you have any sense of foreboding when you found out we had no Patron? That was a sign!
Nice job squidtank, nice job.
Shen: y’all were nice enough to recommend Puffy’s tequila as a good one-time substitute. Me likey!
Definitely keep us updated on where to next! Will absolutely come see you!
It would be really funny if D.R. on The Hook was actually one of the D/R boys causing trouble.
@138: (Um, she was lying to you.)
GOOOO B-yOOOOO!!!!
@140: OXO always toyed with my emotions
Seriously, go see the funny shit B-yo put on the Hook blog. I’m outta here.
I don’t even know how to get to their blog
I hate them so I don’t go there — but I can’t figure it out just to see what was written
I’d post a link, but I don’t want to soil our playground.
their website’s really hard to find anything on, isn’t it? readthehook.com/dish.
Don’t hate! Stop on by by and get with the traditional source. You know that “new media” treats you bad, baby. We promise we won’t put no humor in your rumors. Get with a real man, you know you want to. We have awards. We are traditional! Check us out:
http://www.readthehook.com/dish/
B yo! I am soooooo sorry in my grief I forgot the best DJ in town! I will run to X-Lounge and Escafe for all my future dancing adventures. Sorry. Cheer up – have a better day!
people, it’s called UNCUS for goodness sakes.
Hey! I just didn’t know where their blogs aka comments were. Don’t get snotty with me missy.
Besides I found it. I wish I hadn’t.
@143 looks like they killed the whole topic.
@147 no worries, I play too many “remixes” anyway.
Byo… it was a frigging joke at your 12 year old joke.
/sigh… what’s the phrase… something about pearl necklaces before swine? Oh no, that was that Scandinavian porno my Gran sent me.
i didn’t even know they had dancing at oxo.
so, hold on… if the internet is the battlefield, and cvillain v. the hook is the matchup, and the bony, ravaged carcass of the oxo story is the prize, then… you know what? here, just take it. it smells anyway.
This is why parlie is a vital hub of the intarwebs, his unique distillation process. That was beautiful.
*sniff*
/but what will the next fresh e-kill be? pearly swine perhaps? sorry flooze I missed that one.
i’m a distillery.
i love you, man!
Yesterday you said you were a dickhead…. make up your mind Parlie.
@154 I think we need a dance-off, a la MJ’s “Beat It”
@158 totally. or a snark-out. wait no we don’t need that.
OH! I KNOW! we’ll do a vodkathon!
I think we need a dance-off, a la MJ’s “Beat It
I have an awesome remix of that song! It changes up right when you are about to do that totally sweet move you planned the day before. Hee hee…
we’ll do a vodkathon!
tequilathon?
Are we going to drink the vodka or use it to eradicate our poison ivy?
@ 140 ahem. http://www.luxist.com/2008/05/24/is-diddy-cheating-on-his-vodka-with-tequila/
434, i like you too much to lie to you.
sambucathon!
oh god i just vomited all over the blog.
I once got trashed on flaming Sambucas to the point where I was so utterly shitfaced that I forgot to blow out the flames before I drank one. So not fucking funny.
/everyone laffed like drains.
oh man my friend did that in mexico; lit his whole beard on fire. it was awesome, spring break ‘02 4EVA.
Yeah… it got mine too Parlie… I didn’t have to shave for a month.
lucky girl!
i’m sorry i called you a dickhead. but i’m not very sorry, i’m just a little bit sorry.
shen I know somone looking for bar help if your looking he asked about you today eh?
That’s cool…. I am also micro-sorry I told everyone that you make me shove red Power Rangers up your ass.
For all you people lamenting your missed opportunities to sample OXO’s food, they’re still part of Taste This! tomorrow at Alumni Hall from 5:30 to 8:30. Come out to support the Salvation Army and have some of the best food around.
For all you people lamenting
I prefer to gnash my teeth.
Since OXO Restaurant and cVillain shared such an exciting love-hate, symbiotic relationship we couldn’t depart without saying goodbye. So, you have some questions. Why and why now, right? Here are a few reasons: 1) Burnt out after 9 ½ years. 2) Working at the gallery has revealed life outside of the restaurant bubble is pretty fascinating. 3) Our oldest beautiful son just graduated from high school and we realized how much we missed out due to the unforgiving days, hours, and obligations of owning a restaurant. Our youngest beautiful boy will be entering kindergarten and we do not want to miss out again. 5) This recession combined with rising food costs can really stress a body out! 6) A good offer came up at the right time. Why didn’t we provide the staff with better notice? Well, when it comes to business deals, what we want is not always what we get. Details were not finalized until this past Sunday and we told the staff that evening. Those who personally know how much we appreciate and adore our staff should be able to attest to how difficult it was to not tell them. But, just like with other potential deals in the past few years, things could’ve fallen apart. We chose not to tell them in fear of needless panic and alarm. But, to help them make a smooth transition we contacted a number of restaurants to find them immediate employment. OK, some jobs aren’t so glamorous, but they are readily available with a simple phone call. Our staff knows we will do whatever we can to help them. Who bought it? It is not my place to say. In the end, this is a bittersweet time for John and me. As much as we are happy to have a chance to do new things, we are equally sad and upset about everything being over. OXO Restaurant has been one of the best experiences of our lives and it was all due to the people who dined with us, danced with us, and worked with us. We will miss it and miss everyone. We will miss our staff immensely!! They are amazing human beings who possess wonderful levels of commitment, loyalty, intelligence, humor, generosity, heart, and spirit. Plus, they are all sexy, gorgeous, and stylish! No other group of people could have pulled off fine dining service, late night bar/dance scene, and a bondage party all at the same time. I encourage any and all restaurants to take this rare opportunity to snatch one, two, or three of them up. I’ve written too much so I will stop. Our best to everyone!
@170 good point! OXO’s menu was the best in town by far.
@146 the Hook is trash.
Many pitchers + Jim Beam + (something else) = Wahoooo!
/or is that yippie? I can’t tell anymore
Thanks for commenting Alice. Can you ask the new owner to introduce herself?
Will the Dee Em Beez be playing opening night, perchance?
/Check ‘em out, Boyd.
//gag
Oh Christ. You would think Abe Vigoda just died.
/hopes the new owner is a midget with a firey temper and extra limbs.
/I can haz blackout now?
@177 - Here’s the new owner, post-op for the limbs though.
@162: Gina, I freakin’ love you… I kne Shen had to be lying
@138, 162: 1800 Silver is my go to tequila. I have a bottle at home right now.
@162: Dude, I thought you were BSing. You kept saying, “Puff Daddy” and we all know he doesn’t go by that anymore so I thought you were full of it. Then again, you also said you’d heard that Oxo was closing and I said ,”No way. You’re full of shit.”
Score= Gina: 2, Shenanigans: 0
@168: PACO, If it’s a guy from a certain cool downtown spot owned by a dude we have worked with in the past, I’ve already been contacted. Crossing fingers!!
@183: no, it’s ME! i’m opening a high-end website that sells atomic burritos through email, and has a late-night AIM dance party using emoticons to express human emotions like love and vomiting. we’ll also serve ether to help people kill themselves when they realize they’re at my lame blog party.
@184: Shut it.
Did Cassis Close???
Hearing about people who sell their restaurant and tell their employees the night that they have the deal in place is pretty sickening. The bartenders, waiters, dishwashers, toilet bowl washers, etc. don’t have the liberty to “sell” their job because they want to spend more time with their kids. Give me a break, if you really appreciate and “love” your staff, then you will give them a big heads up when you think that you might have a deal in place. If you aren’t committed to them then why should they be committed to you. B.S. And calling other restaurants to get them jobs isn’t that cool. They probably loved their jobs and don’t want to work at some other place. If you love your employees then give them pay until they are settled in their new job.
well played clarence. in some industries, laid off workers get a “severance package.” i guess in this one they get a “consolation job.”
@188 - yeah, it just doesn’t work that way. There are legal reasons owners can’t say anything (non-disclosure agreements with the buyer), business reasons (who eats at the restaurant that’s about to sell once the rumors hit), and plain jane economic reality (only people paid on salary get severence, and even that’s not guaranteed anymore).
I know, it sucks, and I don’t mean to diminish anyone’s jobless plight (it sucks to job hunt in the summer), but come fall every restaurant in town will be looking for help. It’s just part of what comes with the territory of this line of work - terrible hours, a chance for great money (for wait staff - sorry dishwashers), no stability, huge job market. Every career has a downside.
I’m pretty sure that the person they sold to required the owners not to say anything, and they still are not allowed to confirm who bought it, you will notice. So we should hate on the buyer, it was their conditions that caused this. The owners are actually trying to be helpful and giving us all the leftover food and stuff and have put in good words for us at all the restaurants at which they know someone. They’re even throwing us a big staff party/ mock funeral for the restaurant and all staff is invited to the owners’ house for July 4. But thank you for your empathy on the behalf of the OXO staff, that is cool of you.
@189 i would have thought a lot of people would have flocked to eat at oxo if they knew it was about to sell.
@189 i won’t ever pretend to know what went on during negotiations, or speculate as to what the terms may have been. but if i were to sell a business and i gave a damn about my employees, a request to cease operations effective immediately and release all staff (with no prior notice) would cost the buyer two weeks pay for all employees.
@192: Noble intention, but doesn’t neccessarily mean the buyer will agree to that term.
You can only get what you want in a negociation if you are actually willing to walk away if your terms aren’t met. I can’t imagine having put my life into a business for 10 years, finally have the chance to get out (at a time when food costs are at record highs, the economy is weak and the market for restaurant opportunities is a bit ligt on the buyer side), and walk away from a buyer who (I assume) met my price because it would be really cool of me to go above and beyond the call of managerial duty and make an unorthodox request. If I were the buyer, I’d call that bluff in a heartbeat.
Let’s be honest, how many dishwashers and waitstaff do you know who give two weeks notice when they quit? Certainly some do, but it’s the other side of the same coin.
I hear it is going to be a Chuck-E-Cheese, which is good as animatronic vermin are underrepresented in this community.
Agreed with Lys.. I would not want to be in the food biz right now, it must be rough. Raise prices due to fuel/food costs and make customers mad, or make less/no profit at current levels.. especially with the over-saturation of food joints in this town.
Well that still doesn’t excuse cutting into Shen and Doof’s spending power; she has drinks to buy; he has a hot girlfriend to take to dinner. I for one am going to continue to tip Nay and watch doof clean up spills. But what can I say, I’m loyal
Where’s doof cleaning up spills at?
anywhere I am.
/clumsy
200!!
@196 i went to an indian restaurant last night, & when we ordered rice, the indian guy explained in length about the rising cost of rice ($45 for a $20 bag, apparently), & said he hadn’t raised his prices at all. i couldn’t figure out his point: did he not want us to order rice because he’d lose money on it, or did he want us to appreciate him because one of his half-dozen competitors nearby had raised his prices? at any rate, he brought the rice, and the meal was gud.
@200: Congratulations! You are the winner of one dusty bottle of Cru from the Oxo basement and three bags of lentils.
I’ve heard of people melting down old lentil leftovers and selling them on the blackmarket.
Thor, what in the bleep are you talking about?
Threadkiller!
oops
@187, Clarence, you’re a ridiculous asshole, not to be confused with the ones serenaded at Escafe tonight
Ah… the joys of leaving one’s computer signed in and unattended…
I bet it was doof.
Hey OXO, I missed the last supper, you owe me and I will collect.
you rang?
byo, sounds like we’re going to have to pull through with our laudromat idea sooner than later
yes. let’s.
/bubbles!
I should be walking into work right about now. And I miss it. Mostly the people I worked with/for, but actually quite a few customers too. Where is everyone going to go instead?
Someone please tell Gary Palmer I just put him on the VIP list.
Don’t make us feel sad. We’d been there in about 90 minutes…
No reason to stay home tonight…
Bang is pretty hot. I like the upstairs.. we can call it the cVillain den?
It’s not the same without dancing…or watching dancing going on…
I am happy for everyone about your late night scene and how it added to your relevance in this town, maybe its just me but it was a restaurant, plain and simple that put out a shit load of great food in its too short existence. I will miss not being to pop in and eat food from someone who actually gave a shit about it, the food that is. It was a restaurant to the end, not ideal that people will not be able to make the money they did there. The thread did turn selfish and small, be relevant somewhere else!!!!
@214: You just made me spit tea on the screen. Poor Gary Palmer.
I am happy for everyone about your late night scene and how it added to your relevance in this town,
(Pssst. Hey guys. I don’t think oda’s being completely honest here.)
/aded to our relevance? que?
@220, 218: maybe revelance was intended.
/you know, like revelling and stuff…revel+dance=revelance.
@12: Not so much. No more Bud Light?
[…] expensive lease and it would be hard to turn enough cash to make this location work. Given the commentary and lack of gossip about what’s coming next (and even one from its prior owner, Alice), this makes sense. Given no new owner has popped up, […]