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Restaurant busted for serving cheap booze at luxury prices
Monique Curet of the Columbus Dispatch is reporting a story that Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse is being investigated by the state for its liquor sales and has fired several members of its bar staff.
So why is the high-end restaurant at Easton Town Center being investigated?
“Some bar employees were filling premium-brand liquor bottles with cheaper alcohol then selling it at top-shelf prices, according to a person familiar with the situation who did not want to be named for fear of repercussion. The Easton restaurant fired seven bar employees who were “in violation of company policies,” said Michael Feighery, vice president of operations for Smith & Wollensky. The company would not provide further details.”
Now that’s alcohol abuse. Read the full story here …
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: News
Comments
By Mike
May 30, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
The few times I’ve been there, they were arrogant snobs. The drinks are WAY overpriced ($12 for a Martini!). Not worth the effort to ever go there again.By Doreen
May 30, 2008 2:01 PM | Link to this
I worked for a place that did that all the time, didn’t realize it was against the law. oh well, they aren’t open anymore. makes you wonder how many bars do this thoughBy Bruce
May 30, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
I ate at Smith & Wollensky at Easton three weeks ago. I thought they were snobbish also. Their wine prices are OUTRAGEOUS, at least a third to fifty percent higher than normal. They make a big production when serving a bottle of wine, but in our case, the people doing the serving were incompetent. When our waiter broke the cork in half while opening our bottle of Northstar Merlot, he explained that “when the cork breaks like that, it means that the wine has been stored properly.” Right!By Jenny
May 30, 2008 7:52 PM | Link to this
I know Ohio bar laws and that is unlawful.By Ellyn
May 30, 2008 8:14 PM | Link to this
I worked for a bar that would pour the rest of a bottle into an identical brand bottle to get rid of the bottle but we never put cheaper into expensive. I was told that was illegal too. I would think anyone who knows their liquor would be able to tell the difference.By Buster Garfield
June 1, 2008 2:09 AM | Link to this
As a former server and patron of the restaurant, I LOVE (note, I’m being facetious) how the bar staff was thrown completely under the bus while a certain bald-headed hobbit in charge of the store plays innocent when he most likely encouraged and enforced this unethical scandal, especially considering his previous track record and rumors of other unethical situations occurring in the restaurant. Trust me, the bar staff should not be the only people suffering for this. All this stems from the top and some people just happened to be the scapegoat. I truly hope that the main instigator gets his repercussions because he not only ruined the name of a company, but he could literally be responsible for closing a business and making not just the bartenders but 70 other great employees jobless. Way to go.By bert
June 1, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this
This is how the company works. The bar staff didn’t make the decision to use old grey goose bottles and fill them with cheap vodka. The company is losing money and trying to find every way they can to cut corners, but they won’t admit that. Blame it on the server staff as they can be easily replaced.By chiefwino
June 2, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
Often the reason premium bottles are refilled with the cheap stuff is to cover up theft by the bar staff. Either they are drinking the good stuff and back filling the bottles or serving friends the good stuff and only charging for the “well” brand. Most bar managers spend a lot of time inventorying the back stock looking for shrinkage, over pouring, or theft. Regardless all activities are illegal and unethical.By kev
July 3, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
I used to work for the company and this was common practise. What benefit does a bartender get by doing this? It only benefits the ownersBy Rhonda
July 11, 2008 6:37 AM | Link to this
I have never been to the place in question,and I have been a bartender for 20 years, and YES it IS against the law to even pour same brand into same brand bottles.It is called “marrying” , and you are not supposed to do it. You have to completely pour the contents from one bottle into the glass, but NOT into another bottle. Pouring “well” into “top” is highly against the law, and does not say much for the owner of the bar or the bartender doing this practice. I got my bartending license in Virgina Beach, there you HAVE to have a license to bartend, as you should everywhere. Therefore you cannot say you did not know the law. I am Bar Manager at a bar here in Springfield, and I quit a job over this same issue. I will not compromise my reputation for this cheap and illegal practice!!You are trying to deceive your customers, and that is not saying much for your morals!