08/18/2023
This was why the support we gave to our community was so important.
Those “flyers” in the front windows- were homeless shelter pets looking for a second chance that we were able to give a little more visibility to.
Those drag shows we put on- were always about raising money for our local LGBT center, having a fun event for our community to attend, and making a little extra after-dinner-service money to have some extra cash in the kitty for unexpected repairs (if you have ever owned a busness you know what I mean lol)
Those higher wages we paid our staff- it wasn’t about clout, it was about giving our employees a place to work where they were valued and could work one job and be able to support their families
Our name- “Catalan” - was never, ever, intended to be about authenticity as far as food goes, it was ALWAYS about authenticity to ourselves. If you know a bit about Catalonia, the spirit of that place is that they are fiercely independent. They actually want to not even be part of Spain because their culture is vastly different in many ways. The name Catalan Tapas Bar was intended to evoke the spirit of being individuals, of being unique, and not being the same as the rest. Our food was always meant to be inauthentic to Spain but authentic to our brand - if it tastes good and looks beautiful let’s put it on a plate and sell it. There are plenty of “authentic” tapas bars in this area (can you call a chain authentic though?)- we wanted to be different, not to try and compete with what they were doing.
To all of our supporters who “got it” - thank you. To those who didn’t, we are sorry you didn’t understand our concept. It really was an amazing thing and we have had such a wonderful outpouring of support and love that it was all worth it.
I won’t say that we were perfect 100% of the time, because that’s not reasonable. Nobody ever is. To those who had a less than perfect experience, I’d like to apologize. I’d like to say that I know my staff tried their best, always, and unfortunately sometimes that “best” isn’t up to par and we let some people down when they dined with us whether it be with service, or a dish that wasn’t perfect, or just ambiance that wasn’t their style.
There have been a lot of negative comments from people posted below the articles written about our closure, but I am going to handle it with grace and just say- they are right in their opinion (because as a very wise friend once said everyone’s opinion is “right” for them, even if we don’t agree with it) but that I too am right when I say we did a damn good job trying to make it work and even though it didn’t last it was a great run.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=673014311535557&id=100064809816193&mibextid=cr9u03
No matter how long it lives, the Greatest Lion will eventually die miserably. That's the world! They may die young from injuries they sustained while defending their Pride. They may die old, enfeebled by age. At their Peak, they rule, chase other animals, catch, devour, gulp and leave their crumbs for hyenas. But age comes fast.
The old Lion can't hunt, can't kill or defend itself. It roams and roars until it runs out of luck. It will be cornered by the hyenas, nibbled at and eaten alive by them. They won't even let it die before it is dismembered.
Life is short. Power is ephemeral. I have seen it in lions. I have seen it in old people. Everyone who lives long enough will become very vulnerable at some point. Therefore, let us be humble. Help the sick, the weak, the vulnerable and most importantly never forget that we will leave the stage one day.
