Owner Steve Hartley called the Facebook post “an ill-advised attempt at humor,” and fired an employee he said was responsible. Ironically, the pirate-themed bar near Seattle already featured a skull and crossbones motif.
Source: Associated Press
In the past week, a pirate-themed bar in Lynnwood has lost staff, bands and customers — over a show with advertised discounted prices for people sick with COVID-19.
The Vessel Taphouse posted on Facebook on Jan. 21 that people should “Come see the show, maybe catch the virus or just stay home and whine,” The (Everett) Herald reported.
The post also said people could enter the bar for a discounted rate with proof of an “Omicron positive test.” Owner Steve Hartley said four employees quit and three bands refused to play another show that weekend. Hartley told the newspaper the post was “an ill-advised attempt at humor,” and the responsible employee has been fired.
The employee’s identity is being protected, he said, because of “pretty nasty” online comments, he added.
“We were getting comments that we were trying to infect the public,” Hartley said. “Clearly we have no interest in that. People aren’t going to come and drink if they get sick, and we know that.”
