Check, Please

Beloved brunch spot shutters after stiffed staffers spill tea on Facebook

Wow, that was fast. In a matter of days, a well-regarded local eatery crashed and burned before our eyes, leaving behind a confused and divided community. It all went down on Facebook, of all places, in the Roxborough Rants and Raves group. A disgruntled employee shared shocking details of unpaid wages, bounced checks, and weeks of financial chaos that had staff reeling and ultimately spurred a death spiral from which the struggling operation would never recover (or will it? See update below!)…

What a loss. Winnie’s Manayunk has been a staple on Main Street for over 20 years, a favorite spot for good food, great bread, and excellent people-watching from their comfy, street-side outdoor seating. Since 2003, it’s been owned and operated by Winnie Clowry—a name long tied to the local restaurant scene. She’s also a pillar of the business community, where she’s often recognized for her generosity and neighborhood spirit. But this past week, everything unraveled at lightning speed.

The beginning of the end dawned around December, with whispers of bounced paychecks. Staff claim they were constantly reassured the issue would be fixed “next week,” but weeks went by, and the paychecks still weren’t clearing. Even more troubling, some banks were no longer accepting her company checks. The tension boiled over last Monday when Winnie announced, mid-brunch service, that the restaurant would close temporarily “to give staff a break” and that she’d be “flying south.”

At the same time, she emailed employees she was actually concerned the pipes might freeze in the frigid temperatures that were forecast for the week. She advised those seeking cash payouts to stop by the office Tuesday morning. These employees, however, would be left out in the cold — literally. The office was dark and locked tight when they showed up for their money, with no Winnie in sight.

By the end of the day, workers had crafted a well-worded and professional letter for Winnie saying they couldn’t keep working without pay. They left it on her desk and hoped for the best. The fallout was immediate: Winnie unceremoniously dismissed her bartenders and waitstaff.

An employee turned to her neighborhood Facebook group, posting her behind-the-scenes recap — with receipts — as a public announcement for the community. Boom! The group exploded in outrage, calling for boycotts and offering solidarity to the workers. Meanwhile Winnie doubled down with more firings and a new plan: she would reopen Thursday, waiting tables herself while her managers ran the kitchen.

But karma! Overnight the pipes indeed froze as she’d feared, and when her general manager advised there was no way to operate without working plumbing, she fired him on the spot – literally called the cops and had him escorted off the property for trespassing. The assistant manager quit right then, and followed them out.

When a handful of employees showed up with a Fox 29 news crew, a family friend came out to speak for Winnie, and appeal for grace and understanding. Seems some workers were apparently paid, but unfortunately, Winnie has yet to reach out to the others who are still waiting on wages and W-2s.

That Friday she had been slated to re-open, she instead pulled down the restaurant’s sign – evidently for good — telling journalists, “This is too much hurt. I’m not the person they’re making me out to be.”

Winnie’s impulsively-announced closure may mark the end of an era, but the debate it sparked will likely continue until accounts are properly settled. Many on Facebook are eager to move on, yet others continue to hash out meaning: Is this the story of an overburdened business owner doing her best? Or of workers standing up to injustice? Let’s dive into some of the most memorable comments.

Danielle V’s original post that started it all:

📣 SHOUTS AND MURMURS 🗣️
The highlights (as we see them), pulled from more than 1000 responses on four different posts from January 23 to 25. Some text has been lightly edited for space/clarity. Please see Roxborough Rants and Raves on Facebook for full context.  

⭐TOP RATED⭐Karley H. Honestly Winnie’s was one of my favorites, what happened to the employees was wrong but I think if she told more of her staff and the community about the struggles she was facing, I think people would of reacted differently. Manayunk is a very tight knit community but a lot of people were rightfully upset and I think the most upsetting part was how she reacted to the whole situation.

I’m sorry but she had the past two months to either explain to her staff the struggles she was facing and that the bounced checks were a mistake and she could of even told them she could not afford to pay everyone… but leaving people high and dry without any notice is not how it should been handled either… No accountability was taken until it was too late and it was very unfortunate and sad, but truthfully this could have been handled multiple different ways…

I’m not here to bash anyone bc it is unfortunate what she went through leading up to this but people that worked there struggled also and probably still are. I hope future businesses realize honesty and transparency go a long way with staff and the community… I know it’s hard to reach out for help but… social media is a powerful thing and I think she could have used it to turn things around before it came to this point.

Theresa S.  This is such a shame. Working in the food service industry, I know that businesses don’t get many cash-paying customers these days, and with credit cards you have to wait for a monthly check. But this is so sad! Times are really tough these days. I feel bad for the employees that are owed money. I pray she gets it together and pays them as soon as she can.

Jeffrey T.  I loved Winnie’s and I’m sad to see it go, but if you fire all of your employees and call the cops on them for simply asking for their wages, you’re gonna have a bad reputation and it’s completely warranted and deserved. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Dina K. Our director of operations Sean sadly passed away in December. We’ve been more than empathetic with her these past few months. We’d like her to show some sort of empathy for us as well.

Amanda T.  Winnie’s mom passed away as well.

Kelley W.  She wrote bogus checks that bounced to employees checking accounts which caused the employees to incur fees and could cause the employee’s bank account to be closed for fraudulent checks. It doesn’t matter how hard you’re grieving you don’t write fraudulent checks or checks that you can’t cash… there is no integrity in that.

Andrew L.   I worked for Winnie in 2017. She knows how to run a profitable restaurant, but her management technique is to strike fear in her employees. I never got in any trouble when I worked for her but I saw employees cry on more than one occasion. I quit the moment I found a better job.

Shannon M.  This sucks for the workers not getting pay, and y’all do what you need to do, but the rest of you keyboard warriors are ruthless to never consider what the owners might be dealing with.

TL Z.  I don’t live in the neighborhood any longer but you better believe I’m telling everyone I know to stop going here. The wage theft is bad enough but the retaliation is next level.

Charlotte D.  According to the Inquirer, Winnie’s received like a million in forgivable pandemic loans – sry I have NO sympathy for someone who mismanaged their business this badly.

Michael D. There’s two sides of every story. Her mother also passed away in October. January is statistically the slowest month of the year. All these things are extremely hard to process even without owning a business. Now with unexpected food prices and low margins yea it’s more cost effective to close. Labor is the most expensive part of running a business so I can see where she would need to stagger pay some POS systems will hold funds for a ridiculous period of time. It’s unfortunate but nothing said here or in this group will waiver my opinion of Winnie.

Elena L.  She could have made a legal payment arrangement to pay staff if she was struggling. They have bills to pay just like she does.

Michael R.  All these comments are pretty harsh for one of the biggest staples in Manayunk. Winnie has nothing but love for the street and has dedicated her life to Manayunk. If she and the business are fallen on hard times (like a lot of places are) where is the support or empathy? She is a good woman and I’m sure if there has been wrongdoing or shortfalls, she is as stressed, upset, and worried about as anyone. No doubt she will want to make it right.

Austin W. I’m sorry but no one deserves to “make it right” for “shortfalls” or “stress”. You pay your workers. That’s it. I don’t pay my rent with “stress” I don’t pay my water with “shortfalls” I don’t pay my heat with “hard times” I pay my bills with cold hard sweat, and f*ck anyone that takes advantage of that. Pay up or go out of business.

Rick Y.  There’s definitely more to this story.

Ty J M.  We can move on when the employees get their checks.

Michele E.  File a complaint with the state’s labor department!

Ronald M.  I guarantee her business is done. She will not have the time to hire and re-train new staff nor with word getting out how she treated her employees would anyone want to work in an environment like that. I’m not sure there is any recourse because she probably doesn’t have the financial resources to pay. She will probably file for bankruptcy, if you haven’t been paid I’m sure her vendors and suppliers haven’t been paid.

Brian K.  It doesn’t matter how hard you’re grieving you don’t write fraudulent checks or checks that you can’t cash… there is no integrity in that.

Danielle K.  It hasn’t just been since Sean’s passing. These employees are owed money not just for a couple weeks but for months. She had money to remodel, but can’t pay her employees.

Lindsey A.  I don’t know this woman, but this is my opinion: Someone who knows her personally needs to check on her in person. She may be really not doing well. There is no excuse for treating your employees like this and no excuse for not paying your employees and reacting this way to a very empathic and well-written letter makes me think something is really not right.

Michael F.   Can some other business please have a scandal so we can move past this?

🔎THE PLOT THICKENS: A sign on Winnie’s Restaurant’s door indicates plans to re-open this Monday (February 3rd). 🤯 2-8 UPDATE: indeed, the restaurant is open for business again. 

And just like that, a neighborhood puts this mysterious and unresolved drama behind them.

❓What do you think? Click the links here for more information. Comments? Please leave them below, along with any questions and impressions you’d like to share.