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Farmers’ Cabinet Has A Few Job Openings…

Posted by Jason Sheehan on July 13th, 2012

As we reported yesterday, chef Steve Forte left Farmers’ Cabinet on Wednesday night–departing for points unknown after just 7 months behind the stoves. And this, of course, set off a storm of speculation, rumors and trash-talk about Matt and Colleen Swartz‘s Walnut Street bar. We heard everything from tales of imminent closure and mountains of debt to stories of bounced paychecks and massive walk-out from the staff.

Some of this is true. Some of it is not. I talked with operations manager Will Pumphrey (who is currently standing in as GM at Farmers’ Cabinet) and while he admitted that there are problems both on the floor and in the offices, a lot of the talk out there right now is “grossly exaggerated.”

So how do things really stand right now at Farmers’ Cabinet?

“We’re operating,” Pumphrey said when I asked him how things were going after all this late-in-the-week drama. It hasn’t been a good time, but right now, the doors are open, the lights are on and the kitchen is working. In what Pumphrey insisted was an “amicable” departure sealed with “hugs and handshakes,” Steve Forte left the kitchen on Wednesday. “He left on good terms,” Pumphrey said. “There were some things that he wanted to do, but Matt wanted to go in a different direction.”

Forte’s jump was followed in short order by three more resignations–those of general manager Nick Kulik, FOH manager Jeff Boyle and event coordinator Teresa Kulik. Farmers’ Cabinet also lost a brewer recently (Terry Hawbaker), a bar crew and more then one chef–which is a lot for a place that’s only been open about 16 months. But still, four top names vanishing from the roster in a single night? Even with these folks all being friends or married, it still looked bad. And at that point, the internets just went kind of nuts.

Pumphrey, though, is trying to remain positive and emphasize the good. As of right now, the rest of the kitchen crew remains intact–including Matt Broeze, Scott McGill, Jake O’Donnel and Ed Konrad, who is currently holding down Forte’s former position, though it is said that Chris Allen from The Boilermaker may soon be taking over). Rumors had pastry chef Keri Fallon on the bricks, but she is still employed. As is Shawn O’Connell from the cheese department, who was missing during all the excitement and presumed gone, but was really just on vacation, according to Pumphrey. “Also, the dishwashing team is intact,” he told me, laughing.

As to the rumors of bounced paychecks? Pumphrey had no comment, other than to say that everyone was going to be taken care of. Canceled deliveries to the kitchen? “There is still food coming in.” Mountains of debt. “Look, it’s summer,” he told me. “Things are hard.” But he insisted that things are not as bad as the stories would have people believe. Farmers’ Cabinet is struggling, but not closing. “You can’t believe everything you hear.”

But neither can all of it be discounted. We’ll be keeping an eye on things at Farmers’ Cabinet in any event–waiting to see whether Wednesday’s excitement was just an isolated case of a bunch of friends all following each other out the door, or the mortal blow that people have been predicting since Farmers’ Cabinet’s earliest days on the scene.

additional reporting by Lou Mancinelli

All Farmers’ Cabinet coverage–the good, the bad and the ugly [Foobooz]

 


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    This entry was posted on Friday, July 13th, 2012 at 12:52 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

    • Buckethead

      Well, you’ve every side of the story covered here: from the GM of Farmer’s Cabinet to the GM of Farmer’s Cabinet. I guess if he “insists” on something that’s good enough for you. It’s not like the owners have a history of stiffing their suppliers and staff and closing places like a thief in the night, I mean, that’s only happened to two out of the previous two places they ran.

    • DogDayz

      Looks like this dog is having it’s day. Watch the fleeing fleas fly

    • Well

      The place wil survive maybe. I have visited many times the loss of a good controlling chef hurts but the rest of the staff is replaceable I have meet both nick and Jeff both lack the experience and professionalism to run a a major operation. To be honest it probably frees up payroll to get a serious and professional gm which nick was not. Jeff Was a joke as a floor manager and was handed the job without the right experience and because of his friendship with nick hence the same time departure. He is like a brick wall simple and flat. As far as the cabinet goes better beers better staff And it about time those losers left

    • MattSays

      Roberty Liccio is the president of the corporation and deserves the blame

    • John Hyson

      Well, save your ill-informed, poorly written, 3:43am drunken rants for subjects that you actually know something about. It takes ZERO BALLS to trash someone behind the anonymity of a pseudonym. As someone who has worked with both of these gentlemen, I can vouch for their professionalism and character. I have yet to meet two friendlier or harder working individuals, and I have been in this business quite a long time. If you have a personal grudge with someone, grow a pair and handle it, like a man, in person. Don’t hide behind a fictitious name, and hurl unfounded and false accusations from behind a wall, like a pussy. –John Hyson

    • Well

      John hyson has spoken then they must be professional.

    • Well said

      Your right John next time I am in PA I will stop by and introduce my self, and you can call me a pussy to my face from your posting you sound like another lifer have fun with that when you get wet brain . The valadity of my statements stand, it was not a personal attack but reference to what it takes to gm a quality restaurant but if you worked their than you know more than me (insert sarcasism) but as a customer my observations still stand. I just left out key words like jeff was a douche and no I don’ t want your free desert or hot coffee in my lap..Matter of fact John you are a loser as well and are a grossly mislead like a sheep nothing I said was false or unfounded get a life

    • prettyinpink

      I once saw Jeffrey boyle look like Richard gere. True story.

    • PocketPoolShark

      Wait, which Richard gere? I happen to be a fan.

    • prettyinpink

      @pocket pool shark: a cross between Chicago gere and ghost busters gere.

    • PocketPoolShark

      He wasn’t in ghost busters .

    • prettyinpink

      No he was. Maybe you haven’t seen it in awhile. They play it on amc every now and then. Netflix might stream it as well but ill have to get back to you on that.

    • prettyinpink

      Couldn’t find it on netflix but I might’ve had the wrong search input. Checked with my local blockbuster though and they had it on dvd. They also warned me that availability varied by store, so I would double check before going. Hope this helps!

    • Ty

      Pocket pool shark you right!

      Pretty pink how you gon mix up Richard Greer AND bill Murray!!? That might just be the most stupid thing I ever heard! LOL next time you think someone look like someone you should check a magazine first or somethin!! Dam

    • John Hyson

      @ Well: The ‘validity’ of your statements might bear more weight if you actually knew how to spell validity, (or sarcasm, for that matter) and knew the difference between ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’, and ‘there’ and ‘their’. Your spelling of ‘douche’ was spot-on. You seem to have that one down to a T. You’ve wasted enough of my time with your pointless drivel. I take no pleasure in matching wits with the unarmed. P.S. The customer isn’t always right, or in your case ‘write’. Enjoy having the last word. I won’t be sticking around to ‘reed’ it. Moron.

    • Just Noticing

      @John Hyson-

      What a change of heart you have towards this company after all the slander and gossip you offered up freely in the past. Talking about threats, harassment, mismanagement and bounced checks, Im shock that you speak so highly of a business that wronged you in so many ways….according to you. But then again, I suppose a snake can forgive a snake.

    • sunken_ship

      Their $300 check to my business bounced 3 weeks ago. If they can’t cover $300, they are in tough shape. If I worked for them, I’d have one foot out the door too. Work with no pay is not an option.

    • no
    • Eric

      They’re done. Stick a fork in ‘em. Yet another in a long line of Swartz ventures going up in flames.

    • Sara

      As a big fan of the Farmer’s Cabinet and their amazing bartenders, I really hope this place sticks around. It could definitely use more street presence though, as it always looks closed whenever we go there.

    • JH

      @ Just Noticing: Apparently you know me, or think that you do, but your reading skills need a little work. I, in no way, defended the way these guys (the owners) operate their businesses or treat their employees. I did, however, come to bat for the staff members that I have personally worked with, who don’t deserve to be vilified for the many sins of their employers. Feel free to de-friend me on facebook. It is more than obvious who you are. Out of respect for the EMPLOYEES involved, I won’t be participating in prolonging this comment thread any further.

    • former booker

      If anything hyson was too easy on those losers. He must be a frigging saint the shit he put up with. It aint slander if its true.

    • Well said

      @jh Under no circumstances do you make fun of customers ……….I got burned and this was no joke maybe I was harsh but you were not there too witness their behavior so I do not understand how you believe you have any right to engage in this spelling does not matter it is the point of what I was saying and I also knew people who worked there, true restaurant people that second my viewpoints I just want to see more successful restaurants and know what it takes from a foh standpoint ……you are blind and an asshole

    • Jimmy

      Speaking of Farmer’s Cabinet, has anyone noticed that it smells like feet inside?

    • Kevin

      Feet and a dirty baby diaper mixed together Jimmy

    • no

      Whoah, who’s JH? Why are you hiding behind a fake name on the internet?

      You realized something, didn’t you?

    • DJM

      hmmmm…

    • DJM

      maybe its poor execution form the staff…..

    • DJM

      or it could be both a poor business model combined with poor execution by the staff…. blame should start from the top… the owners put the wrong chef in charge and the chef was ineffective in leadership… just saying…

    • JA

      In the real world – who cares? There are plenty of places to get a quality beer or cocktail in Philly (and even more places for a good meal) without “atty-tude” or “hipster douchiness”. I don’t like to see employees and/or vendors get screwed – but if you see the writing on the wall – make a change – you’re not indentured servants! This is the circle of life in the restaurant industry.

      Then you’ve got guys like Marc Vetri, Michael Solmonov, Stephen Starr and Jose Garces who know how to build winning teams and at the same time do some good for the community around them. And then you have wannabe owners who continually burn bridges and one day will find they have to leave a city because they have no more bridges to cross.

    • Satellite

      Curiousity got me to earth google the address of the Schwartz’s as listed on their multiple court documents. From the satellite photos there appear to be three large trailers in their driveway. Any other geek want to check it and and see if you agree? Any guesses what’s in them? I guess contents of all the places they dashed from in the night. Damn it feels good to be a geeksta

    • TheSlime

      If you search that address given as the Swartz’s on those court documents in the Lehigh County Property Tax Assessment Database you will find some interesting things. No one named Swartz ever owned that house. The current owner is listed as a corporation located in a residential neighborhood in Orange County, CA. The executive of that corporation is also listed as such for a Delaware shell corporation. No real info is available as to actual business conducted by either corporation.

    • the truth

      @Theslimesays……i noticed that as well…why do u think that ?is? Ive tried to find info on that co…but have had no luck.

    • DirtyLaundry

      Truth, Wasn’t his past jail sentence for money laundering? If he wanted to pay the mortgage with cash to have less of a trail where the money really came from the setup Theslimesays described would make sense. The government usually just looks for deposits and makes sure taxes are paid on the income. Taking the cash, walking in a bank and paying a mortgage over the counter leaves little trail they look for. Setting up a corporation to own the home instead of the person doing such a thing would make it even more difficult to find. I hope he isn’t doing such a thing, it would be money laundering again. Besides, who would want to tell officials such a “great” guy was doing such a thing if he indeed was doing this? Feel free to reply if you need more, but like I said, this is only a guess of why someone would do such a thing, not accusing anyone.

    • the truth

      @dirtylaundry……that is what i was thinking as well. If u have any other info or could find further info for me it would b greatly appreciated!

    • cleevus

      did he really say “feel free to defriend me on facebook”? is this what it’s come to? defriending? (shudder)

    • House

      He probably thinks putting the house in someone else’s name will hide the asset when as he keeps losing in court for all the negligence and unpaid bills. Someone should point it out to the plaintiff’s attorneys, all their contact information is in the multitude of court filings. They can then pierce the shield of the bogus corporation to take any equity in the house for unpaid bills.

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