EXCLUSIVE: Chamber president apology
Who else was watching it all go down on Facebook? Here's the scoop on what happened next — in private.
What everyone’s talking about
First, a recap for any Dispatchers not whiling away the hours scrolling social media while grounded during a blizzard. (Reading in real time like I was? You can skip to the next section.)
On Monday, Saratoga’s Broadway Deli (owner is Daniel Chessare) took to Facebook to announce that it was up for sale, admitting that “the restaurant industry is tough” and “everything hurts and I’m tired all the time.”
From any other business owner trying to find a buyer, this might seem like an odd way to go. But we expect it from the deli.
If you’re new here, Chessare’s epic social media posts and epic sandwiches go hand in hand.
Each post is a wild ride:
“If you don’t work in the restaurant industry then you don’t really know how bad January is for all of us,” reads one, which then dovetails into his considering (threatening?) to sell pics of his “big gnarly chef feet” on the internet.
Then he basically begs everyone to drink their way through what turned out to likely be the coldest Chowderfest ever, before coming around to: “We will be here for you with all the hearty fare you need to recover.”
All in one post.
Chef’s kiss
It’s bold, endearing to other restauranteurs, and gets the marketing job done without being salesy.
I believe the official business term is “social media perfection.”
But back to the Monday night of it all:
Even though Chessare’s curmudgeonly ways don’t often invite much pushback, this time none other than Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus clapped back.
“I can always tell who will make it versus those who will struggle,” he wrote. “In Saratoga, you have to be an actual part of the community and join the local organizations that bring people here…a long term investment here is what always wins.”
And so it began.
ChatGPT, “define escalate quickly”
But Chessare was not going to A) talk about Chamber membership in his comments section or B) not maximize a perfectly fine viral social media moment: “So maybe we should focus more on affordability for locals year round instead of catering to a brief tourist season. Which starts with changing fixed costs like rent.”
After Shimkus’ next response included in part, “Maybe collaborate with others so everyone is lifted up. Those who go it alone and complain never succeed,” someone replied, “Cringe. It’s not too late to delete this…”
The deli cut in, “It’s too late.”
A few more rounds included the deli laying into NYRA: “We went from ‘The August Place to Be’ to ‘here’s 2-3 months of mediocre crap’. While NYRA does everything to keep people at the track earlier and longer. We went from 2 twilight races to summer dinner rushes that don’t start until 8 – 9 pm.
“We aren’t closing because we failed. We’re selling because we’re tired.”
Shimkus countered, “You have no clue how hard we work to love our locals because you never got involved.”
In a world of no apologies…
I checked in with Shimkus the next day, after the back and forth had stopped. “I visited the deli at 9 a.m. this morning to apologize in person,” he told me. “Told them I made a mistake and wanted them to hear this from me in person directly.”
I asked how they took it, and he said, “I’m not going to speak for them. [Daniel’s wife] Jen was there. Dan was busy so I apologized to her.”
Full transparency: Like many small business owners, I work closely with the Chamber. Shimkus has personally been a strong supporter of my new brand of local media company. To read all 172 comments, visit the deli’s original Facebook post.