Rock star rages against popular Seattle restaurant for denying him entry

When you’re a big rock star, you come to expect certain perks like special treatment at restaurants. But when Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello didn’t get it over the weekend at a Seattle night spot, he took to Twitter in what became a pretty entertaining social media spat.

Morello reportedly showed up at Belltown’s popular 5 Point Cafe along with an entourage after performing Friday night at a benefit concert for the grassroots group that led the effort to pass a $15 minimum wage in Seattle, Blabbermouth.net reports.

Reports say the longtime social justice activist demanded a “special room” even though the place was full and had a line of people waiting to get in.

The doorman told him he couldn’t come in, prompting Morello to take his rage to Twitter.

“Five Point restaurant in Seattle is the WORST. Super rude & anti-worker. [obscenity deleted] doorman in the Northwest. [obscenity deleted]. Spread the word,” he wrote.

But Morello picked the wrong place to go after. Little did he know that owner David Meinert has been a staunch proponent of an increased minimum wage and was a member of the mayor’s advisory committee that helped shape the new law increasing the wage to $15 hour.

Meinert had a pretty pointed response to Morello’s raging in a followup Facebook post:

For the record Tom Morello – The 5 Point is totally pro-worker. We try to pay more than any other small restaurant, and on top of the higher pay, we offer health insurance, paid sick days, paid time off, retirement and profit share. Sorry if you had an issue with our staff, but typically our staff is awesome, and when they are not, it’s usually a reflection of the customer. Act like a [obscenity] = get treated like a [obscenity].

I have to say, your attacking a small business without knowing anything about it, or addressing your problem with them directly before you go on a public rant, pretty much sucks. Just lost a ton of respect for you, and I’ve been a fan for years, both of your work in Rage and your work for workers rights since.

PS – rock stars don’t get special treatment at The 5 Point. We couldn’t give less of a [obscenity]. Sorry.

And PSS – I’m the owner of the 5 Point and have worked to raise the minimum wage in Seattle and support the same nationally, worked to get paid sick days law in Seattle, and am supporting a City sponsored retirement plan for employees of small businesses. I hope you do the same for your employees on the road…

PSSS – turns out he and his crew didn’t get let in as the place was at capacity and there was a line. No one was being let in. According to our doorman who I totally trust, Tom and his crew were all totally rude. Quote from the door guys “I knew who he was, we had no room, his whole party was being rude. He wanted a special room in the back. Clearly had no ideas what it is like inside. I’ve told bigger rock stars than him no.”

Morello subsequently apologized, sort of.

Willing to forgive the Seattle Evil (Egg) Empire 5 Points Cafe doorman powertrip if good guy owner D Meinert fully embraces #15Now min wage

— Tom Morello (@tmorello) September 29, 2014

A number of people called Morello out for his conditional apology:

“@jdanielross: @tmorello Forgiveness with conditions isn't forgiveness. :)” call it leniency then

— Tom Morello (@tmorello) September 29, 2014

The story is getting worldwide attention, and Morello is getting understandably ripped for his alleged behavior. But at least one person is disputing the account.

A woman named Suzan Bekiroğlu paints an entirely different picture in a comment on The Five Point Facebook page:

“I was there. Tom never demanded any rock star treatment. In fact, he strikes me as the opposite of that kind of person.

It was late at night and we had been looking for a restaurant for far too long when we ended up at 5 Point. There was no line that we “cut.” Nobody asked for a private room (who would even think they had one?) or demanded preferential treatment.

The doorman said the restaurant was at max capacity. We were okay with the answer being no and were never out of line about it. I noticed my friends were inside by the entrance, so I went up closer to say something to them when the doorman got rude with me and said I couldn’t talk to them through the doorway. Apparently that is against the fire code, too? THAT is when the aggravation occurred. No one else but the doorman was anywhere near the conversation so it’s basically his word vs ours. He’s trying to say that we were very demanding and drunk, but we weren’t.

Thanks for the slander”