Toronado Seattle

They're already going crazy inside the space. Walked by the other day.

 

"Attention
'66 Toronado
Experienced drivers only"

The sign in the window of former Mutiny Hall.

 

ehhh, this argument doesn't hold water in 2014. the time difference in a cash vs. credit transaction is negligible.

 

As someone who lives 4 blocks away from this location, I'm sad to see Mutiny Hall go. Also glad to hear they sold and didn't go under. Collin's/Hudson/Last Drop are all fine establishments. Not sure why Mutiny Hall never really caught on. I had a few mediocre service experiences there, but overall I dug the place still.

Anywho, Toronado! I've been walking by every few days trying to peek in and see the progress, haha. Very exciting.

Side question: when did Matt Bonney leave the Bottleworks crew? Just now to open the Toronado or had he left previously?

 

I'm just going by my own experience and observations. An experienced bartender can have your change in your hand before the printer even spits out the copy for you to sign. I wish more business' would go to the cash only model, or at least give a cash discount to encourage cash use.

 

I enjoyed Mutiny Hall, it was a great place to stop for lunch with my daughter after going to Cowen Park. The vibe just never seemed as solid as Hudson and Collins. Bit of an identity crisis.

Yeah, I purposely go by there on my running routes and always try to peek in the windows.

 

wow, you really are from Bellingham, huh?

 

Just stop, nobody should be cash only now.

 

Last night was a perfect example. Dude next to me at the bar had 4 pints. Paid with his card each time, instead of running a tab. Which meant that the bartender had to come to a complete stop 4 different times, just because this idiot wouldn't carry a $20 bill.

 

That's lame, I'm suprised they didn't say something about that.

 

Sure but that's more of a tab vs. no-tab situation. The actual difference between paying for a transaction (in this case, should have been one tab with four pints on it) via card vs. cash is negligible. And the time I have to spend making a special trip to locate an ATM, even one time, to make sure I have sufficient cash on hand outweighs any potential benefit that mode of payment represents.

What was this thread about again?

 

pretty simple...no CC fees = more money made for the bar. if i had a place that was guaranteed to be packed either way i too would be cash only.

 

TGIF coming to Seattle?

 

That's understood, but I don't know too many places that are guaranteed to be packed either way. Taking credit cards is a business's way of indicating it cares about its customers and wants to give them every reason to patronize that business. It's about convenience in a competitive market.

I've walked away from plenty of cash-only places instead of dealing with the hassle of going out of my way to get some cash, and I doubt I'm the only one. I'd venture to guess that the increased percentage of people who patronize a business because it takes credit cards, compared to a business that doesn't, pays for those CC fees, and then some. And I'd bet most businesses have made the same calculation, which is why the vast majority of them accept credit cards. A cash-only policy is narrow-minded and unfriendly to customers, as far as I'm concerned.

 

Yeah - screw what the customers want. Kneel before Zod!

 

Maybe they got 4 different tips out of him.

 

very true.

 

At my lil' place we are charged a transaction fee of $.20 I think, plus a percentage of the bill on each card. On one $5 beer, I believe the fee is the $.20 plus another 3%. Do the math, and don't forget the 10% tax I give to the state. I'm not bitching, so I don't need anyone lecturing me about business. So for that $5 beer that the guy charges to his card and closes out once, I'm already down $.85. We try to enforce a $10 minimum, but I won't send someone away if they just want one beer. If they close out their tab with one beer (and tell me they are only having one), AND then want another beer and want to close out their card then I politely tell them that I will hold their tab open for them. Some people genuinely do not know of all the fees, and will leave their tab open once I ask them if they are going to continue drinking.

Closing out your card each time for four beers is just wrong! My place pays more for credit cards than higher volume places, but its still just not what a bartender wants to do. I would guess by about the third time, he would be the last person I would make a point to serve knowing he was gonna close out AGAIN.

 

And a lot of folks like to pay as they go, instead of running a tab, it makes it easier to keep track of what you're spending. Which is fine and dandy, and a good reason to keep a couple of Jacksons in your pocket. Around here, most places have a $10 minimum on plastic, but one place just tells people that they will only run their card once. Seems to work for them.

 

I am unfamiliar with the practice of drinking 4 beers and running a card each time - I don't believe that's real.