Cherry Street Coffee House

A Cherry Street Coffee Shop Is Closed After Workers Walked Out and Accused the Owner of Harassment | Eater Seattle

"After Ali Ghambari — owner of the Cherry Street Coffee mini-chain — spoke at the July 30 Seattle City Council meeting in a T-shirt with his shop’s logo defending an extension of the tipped minimum wage so he could pay baristas less, I saw that his public comments helped ignite long-simmering staff grievances. Workers accuse Ghambari of sexual harassment (including frequent comments calling employees “sexy”), erratic scheduling practices where weekly schedules were sometimes posted at the last minute, arbitrary pay differences, and a workplace culture in which he sometimes yelled at employees. Those complaints led staff to organize: baristas compiled a public list of demands (including an end to sexual harassment and schedules shared three weeks in advance), staged multiple walkouts, and on September 6 closed all locations for a day while picketing the Westlake cafe with Workers Strike Back. Management response included a texted apology from director of operations Laura Giovannoni, offers of pay increases and benefits, and a pledge that all employees would complete certified anti-harassment training, but workers say management has not taken full ownership of Ghambari’s behavior and remain engaged in ongoing discussions while expressing a desire to keep working there because of the community they’ve built." - Harry Cheadle