732 Social story

Josh Moss. Wow.

I don't know him, so I can't evaluate. Why "wow"?

This story brings the reader along on a he said she said regarding a very nasty business partnership. The author then seems to imply that the character of one of the parties is in question. I might liken it to watching a very uncomfortable reality show.

Gawd-

I'd hate to be part of anything associated with this.

Our business is reputation-based. We spend hours upon hours focusing upon the guest's experience and how to bring people in. This kind of a thing simply turns the stomach, less for the 'partnership dissolved' thing and more for the 'what will people think' thing. Think about it- if I will buy you a $6 dessert because your steak was cold, imagine the stress I'm gonna have about this kind of PR...

Trust me, the restaurant industry is full of gypsies- partnerships that don't work are the norm. Nobody generally gets thier feelings hurt over the subject, for long. We all meet at certain events, kiss-hug-and-make-up. Wash-rinse-repeat. That's why you never burn your bridges in this city.

(case in point--> me)

Now I know the Ton Brothers well enough. I opened Basa. We've had some back-n-forths, but I think the world of them, regardless. I love me some Brett Davis. Let them move forward, is my call.

Jayson Lewellyn is a chef I hold in the highest esteem. This cat don't play around, although I'm not a fan of his method (I'm a feel-good kinda guy.) Still, his ships are tight and the sailing is smooth. It works- quite well. He should also be allowed to move forward, as well.

Did I read the article? No. Don't have to. I know what happened regardless of what anyone wants to tell me via the 2nd or 3rd chain down the telephone wire. Toss some Gill Holland in and you have:

Success Syndrome

Start with a bunch of hard-working, driven and talented egos, add some time and success, then the reason for the success begins to fade- you were all working together! It's the sum of the parts, silly, not the parts are the sum. I even watched, aghast, as Chef tried to dismantle his internationally-acclaimed cocktail program.

'Really, dude?'

For me, I had never seen the Louisville Insider bit about this so this isn't old news to me. Louisville Mag arrived in my mailbox and I read the article. Sorry I'm behind on the gossip.

Nothing to apologize for, Mike. I think Carla was asking why Louisville mag was late to the party, not why you were.

Yes yes yes Robin is right, I aw wondering why Louisville Mag was reporting on the story at this late date. Sorry Mike for any misunderstanding.

Yes yes yes Robin is right, I aw wondering why Louisville Mag was reporting on the story at this late date. Sorry Mike for any misunderstanding.

It takes time to do "investigative journalism." Aka digging up enough people who will imply that your interviewee is a liar.

Yes yes yes Robin is right, I aw wondering why Louisville Mag was reporting on the story at this late date. Sorry Mike for any misunderstanding.

It takes time to do "investigative journalism." Aka digging up enough people who will imply that your interviewee is a liar.

I guess that was what I was getting at. It seemed that every time the article mentioned where the chef studied or worked it was followed by "We contacted X and they have no records of him ever being here." So is he lying or did they find people to corroborate their narrative?

I think we can all agree that a responsible journalist would check whatever can be checked and report the results, as the author did. Most of his findings suggest exaggeration rather than fabrication. One thing that came up repeatedly from those who were willing to comment who worked with him is that he's dedicated and can cook up a storm. The big issues that came up were personality & business conflicts.
As one who's only in restaurants as a patron and not in a business capacity, I wondered about a couple of things in the article:
Is it common to want your establishment to never make money, i.e., to only break even?
How common is the practice of your rent being a percent of gross sales?

As one who's only in restaurants as a patron and not in a business capacity, I wondered about a couple of things in the article:
Is it common to want your establishment to never make money, i.e., to only break even?
How common is the practice of your rent being a percent of gross sales?

I cannot speak knowingly regarding restaurants rent being a % of gross sales but I do know that's a fairly common practice for othe retail stores.

DARN IT !!!...Someone who (apparently) has their thumb on the pulse of this whole debacle posted a very informative response to this thread and then they quick like a bunny pulled it down.

http://loumag.epubxp.com/issue/56636

Read for yourself.

http://loumag.epubxp.com/issue/56636

Read for yourself.

Thanks Justin. Interesting read.

DARN IT !!!...Someone who (apparently) has their thumb on the pulse of this whole debacle posted a very informative response to this thread and then they quick like a bunny pulled it down.

Out of respect for this forum, I took down my original post. However, in light of the seriousness of the situation and the viral effect these days, I am done biting my tongue.The spirit behind the article presented to Chef Lewellyn, by Mr. Moss, was presented as a 'feel good' article about the restaurant and what the plan was for its return. The writer earned a level of trust from Jayson that we all, including his parents, were understandably suspicious. This trust was cultivated over the course of many interviews, emails and calls, including a photo shoot. Anyone who knows Jayson, knows how private and introverted he is. Now all of a sudden, he's some kind of flashy guy, some kind of Jeff Ruby character? Please, don’t buy it for a second.

I was interviewed by Mr. Moss and his editor-in-chief, and I expressed concerns that this story would take a negative and gossip-like twist. I was assured that would not be the case by them both. I followed the emails between them and witnessed J being excited about the opportunity. Many of the comments in this story were partial statements, taken out of context and loaded, adding insult to injury and tarnishing him more so than this home-town saga already has. An alarming majority of folks quoted in the article have expressed their dissatisfaction in how their comments were presented in a negative light. The article's slant, bias and the levels of inaccuracy are alarmingly libelous. The direction of the slant is incredibly concerning, given how Jayson was approached, and then that he was interviewing with Mr. Moss up till the time of its deadline. I have wondered if the quotes were the final pieces to fill in for a story already written.

I'm sure no one is really surprised by the clear agenda behind the content, particularly in relation to the special interests that drive the publication. It shows his counterparts will go to any length at their disposal to disguise the truth and their fault in the situation, not to mention that journalism is pretty much up for grabs in this market. I've grown so tired of keeping quiet, mostly under request, as this saga gets misreported and lives interrupted. I have been front row and center since inception of the business and their relationship together. Personally, I don't want to hear another thing about 732 Social until the civil action is complete. I have watched Jayson sacrifice part of himself in attempting to save Social, all the while still trying to foster good will through community ventures. I've said it before, I guess no good deed goes unpunished.

Now, due to Mr. Moss' demonstration of comic book 'journalism', good luck in getting J to come up for air. At this point, his guarded and unresponsive status is very understandable. Clearly the facts aren't going to be represented without bias, so it may be best that nothing gets reported at all. How in the world does a partnership/landlord dispute get this type of media?! and 6 months after the business closes?! If one were to take an unbiased look at what is happening in the space at 732 East Market Street, I think the obvious answer will come to you. No reporting needed.

I'll save my judgment until after it finds a courtroom. Until then, if it seems questionable Louisville, I would question the source.

"How in the world does a partnership/landlord dispute get this type of media?! and 6 months after the business closes?"

That's what I was wondering.

If one were to take an unbiased look at what is happening in the space at 732 East Market Street, I think the obvious answer will come to you. No reporting needed.

Three characters of the original cast opening an new place in the same scene. The fourth member of the tale made to look bad in a local publication. It seems kind of scripted to me.

I have no inside knowledge of what happened, but all I know is that one of my favorite restaurants in Louisville is gone.

Another member of the new establishment is on record personally attacking a member of this forum for a honest review of another of the group's restaurants. I am not sure I will be visiting the new establishment for a while.

Jeni,

Thanks for posting this. Having been thru a very bad business breakup ( not food-related), I know how you get trapped into biting your tongue and not commenting - taking the "high road". I regret now that my side was never heard. Your response walked a perfect line to saying "there is more" here. Very well done.

Deb

Now, due to Mr. Moss' demonstration of comic book 'journalism'

...Comic book journalism. I love it. Thanks to you, I now have a mental picture of this guy passing out at night, naked, in a bean bag chair, dreaming of waking up as Matt Taibbi, cashing five-figure advances from Rolling Stone magazine...only to wake up reaching for another anti-depressant, still a sad, disillusioned, pay-check-to-paycheck second tier hack for a second tier publication.

How in the world does a partnership/landlord dispute get this type of media?! and 6 months after the business closes?! If one were to take an unbiased look at what is happening in the space at 732 East Market Street, I think the obvious answer will come to you. No reporting needed.

...Hmmmm...acknowledging I couldn't pick any of the players out of a line up, it is on the surface kinda-sorta-a-little-bit easy to see where someone might-could-maybe think have a point there. At a minimum it's a bit difficult to immediately and hands down rule out any backroom greasiness.

BTW...I wouldn't worry about anything going "viral" as a result of being posted on this forum. I mean we're talking H.B fer Christs sake...No one really reads this sh**