Capitol Hill businessman will throw MTV reality stars out of his bars

A lot of work has gone into making Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood as popular and hip as it has become. And if you look close enough, you’ll see Dave Meinert’s fingerprints. That could be why Meinert is not in favor of MTV’s potential plans to film a reality show in his part of town.

“I think Real World Seattle was super corny,” Meinert told KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz.” I’m sad they’re back. I don’t think the city needs it.”

Related: MTV plans to film TV show in Seattle

It led Rantz to wonder what would happen if one of MTV’s reality subjects frequented one of Meinert’s establishments. After all, his list of businesses includes popular Lost Lake Cafe and The Comet Tavern. Meinert was also involved in starting the Capitol Hill Block Party.

“I will ask them to leave, or at the very least, not to film or record anything in there,” Meinert said.

“I think the show encourages these kids to act like idiots for the cameras and do drunken, stupid antics,” he said. “I don’t want any of that in my businesses. I think that rather than me encouraging them, these kids need therapy.”

What about The 5 Point Cafe?

“I think they would get thrown out — probably physically removed from the place,” he said.

Or Big Mario’s New York Pizza?

“I think we would still ask them to not record, but if they wanted to get a slice — I would hate to keep anybody from getting the best pizza of their lives,” he said.

Meinert said that despite the reputation that has grown on Capitol Hill in recent years, locals don’t want to encourage the obnoxious behavior. And an MTV show may just make it worse.

“How would they be any different than the jackass twenty-somethings that show up to any bar on Capitol Hill?” Rantz asked.

“Well, we throw them out, too,” Meinert responded. “I don’t think we want that vibe on Capitol Hill, even though it’s gotten that reputation.”

Meinert said that the Capitol Hill community doesn’t want people acting like “jackasses and drunken fools” in the neighborhood.

“To have a TV show come up there, encouraging that is really counter to what we want to promote, especially inside of our businesses,” he said.

Follow @https://twitter.com/DyerOxley