Max’s Restaurants: Breaks Rule #1
According to the San Francisco restaurant company’s self-written rules of good business, “Max’s Law” #1 states: “This restaurant is run for the enjoyment and pleasure of our customers, not the convenience of the staff or the owners.”
Unfortunately, today they broke the cardinal rule, closing the doors to customers for the convenience of the staff — namely, those of Hispanic descent.
Restauranteur/owner Dennis Berkowitz decided to appease his short-order chefs and migrant workforce by giving them the day off to march against America’s immigration reform efforts.
In fact, noting Max’s as a restaurant with a dozen locations that only close one-day a year, we were surprised to see a sign in the closed front window stating: “Out of respect for and in recognition of our outstanding Latino employees” (e.g. read: cheap immigrant labor), “we are closed” and giving them the day off to take a stand against H.R. Bill 4437.
Ain’t that considerate. But what about the rest of the staff?
Tough luck. That’s right. If you’re a hard-working waiter, waitress, host, or bartender, and you wanted to work today — not to mention you might need the money — Viva Mexico!
Do any of the defenders of illegal immigration and the open border advocates who orchestrated this “day without a latino” think about those whose livelihood they compromised? No. They were busy planning about things like re-branding the name of it to “March for Liberty.” (Has a nice ring to it, dontcha think?)*
We sure don’t hear anything about it. But the fact is: When Max’s closed the doors to its restaurants today, people who wanted to work couldn’t and didn’t get paid. And Berkowitz promoted it. So much for Law #1. Call for your free meal.
Perhaps people of non-hispanic descent, who might consider “doing the work that others won’t,” should inquire about job opportunities. That way the place won’t have to close next time the migrants decide to march.
Or let Max’s know how you feel:
bberkowitz@maxsworld.com
650-873-6297
UPDATE:
And the same advice applies to any other business or restaurant that was closed today. Please leave your suggestions in the comments area and let others know.
UPDATE II:
Reliable sources tell us that Max’s employs illegal immigrants. (Now, there’s a surprise!) We have names. Perhaps Sens. Feinstein or Boxer would like to inquire. But we doubt it. If it would help, we can also post the roster — and maybe tomorrow Max’s can be closed for another day — out of respect for and in recognition of our current immigration laws.
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Technorati Tags: Immigration, Illegal Aliens, San Francisco, Mexico
May 1st, 2006 at 7:03 pm
I’ll tell you what — I’ll let Max’s know that I commend them for closing shop today. So thanks for providing their phone number!
Max’s customers may have A Day Without Their Favorite Restaurant, and the “other staff members” may have their own financial hardships — but I can assure you that, overall, the miseries of most of the immigrant workers far outweigh that of the customer’s and “other staff” of your precious Max’s.
May 1st, 2006 at 7:38 pm
Hey Harry, maybe you should stick to stroking your monkey, and not worry about “the miseries of most immigrant workers,” who are in America to take advantage of opportunities to make money. the misery is in in Mexico. and from the looks of it, at $9/hour, they’re probably doing better than you…
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:46 am
FYI Max’s at SFO was operating yesterday.
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:57 am
I find this an odd post. If Max’s indeed wanted to keep its cheap labor, why would it want them mainstreamed into the labor force, ie. desire a guest worker program? Second, what concern is it of anyones if a private business decides not to conduct business on a certain day for whatever reason? If you don’t like it, don’t give them your business. Hogging up their telephone lines as if it were the Sacramento switchboard is pretty lame. And isn’t “taking advantage of opportunities to make money” what is one of the best things about the American spirit? Grant it, they’re here illegally, but then, the government and our society wasn’t exactly doing much to keep them from coming here in the first place. Republicans need to detract their hard core constituency’s attention from their bloated budgets, scandalous dealings in congress and failed attempts to reel in the pork spending, and when all else fails, bash on the weaklings.
May 2nd, 2006 at 9:26 am
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May 2nd, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Here, here Steve! Well said.
I had lunch at Max’s Opera Plaza (near SF City Hall for those not familiar) today to show my support for both Max and his immigrant workers. I chatted up my waiter and asked her — a non-immigrant — if she was upset by yesterday’s closure; she laughed and said she needed the rest! I asked further if anyone was upset over the closure — other customers, employees — and while she was no spokesman for corporate, she said no one had complained or said anything to her.
I guess nobody decided to be mean-spirited and take out their conservative rage on Max’s. Maybe there’s a lesson here…
May 6th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
This article is typical of a narrow-minded conservative who is both racist and ignorant of basic facts. Is it a bad choice of word or that writer of the article is not informed of the derogatory root of the word “Hispanic†when referring to Latino descents? Neither scenario reflects the writer’s capacity. Back to the main issue of the article, I am sure it would have been a pleasant experience for restaurant guests to wait an hour to two for their orders to be prepared due to shortage of service. Most people cannot even wait twenty minutes for their orders before chewing down the servers to even consider waiting anywhere between an hour to two. Give it a rest, Max’s Café has been in business long enough to know a little more about customer service than uninformed whiners.