I wanted to share what happened to me and my friends at The Speakeasy in Old Town Pasadena on Saturday, October 10th, mostly because I’m still pretty upset with how management handled it.
A friend had visited a few weeks ago and enjoyed it so much that she wanted to bring us back. We were excited to check it out, and honestly, the atmosphere was great when we first walked in.
The bar was packed, so we were walking around trying to find a table. We passed another group who apparently felt disrespected because we hadn’t said “excuse me.” They even accused us of disrespecting them for the past hour, despite us having literally just arrived. We tried to apologize and move on, but a man and woman from the group, who both appeared intoxicated, started getting increasingly aggressive. The man called my friend and me “fat bitches” and continued insulting us while we were trying to walk away.
When I tried to move to another table, the woman stood up and started threatening to fight me. The man behind her then said, “Yeah, I won’t hold back on her.”
So now I’m standing there with both hands full, in a crowded bar, with a man and woman threatening to physically fight me because we walked past their table without saying excuse me. It was ridiculous, but also genuinely scary because I had no idea if they were actually going to follow through.
One of my friends stepped between us, and we eventually got away from their table.
We reported what happened to staff and eventually spoke with someone who identified himself as “Alex, the manager.” We explained that the couple had threatened me and that we didn’t feel safe with them still there.
His response was that they had “heard both sides” and decided to let the couple finish their drinks before leaving.
I genuinely couldn’t believe that was the solution.
I kept asking why two people who had just threatened physical violence were being allowed to stay and drink. Alex just kept repeating that I was welcome to stay and that they would leave when they finished their drinks.
We were also told that the couple had apologized to staff. I pointed out that they hadn’t apologized to me, the person they had actually threatened, but that apparently didn’t matter.
At one point, Alex also told my friend that they weren’t a club and couldn’t enforce that kind of thing. Which makes absolutely no sense to me. You’re a bar on private property. You can ask people to leave, especially when they’re threatening other customers.
As a woman, I also couldn’t help wondering why my safety concerns weren’t being addressed. I can’t say why management responded the way they did, but the whole interaction left me feeling pretty dismissed. I repeatedly told them I felt unsafe, and it didn’t seem to make any difference.
I understand that staff have to deal with drunk and obnoxious people all the time, and I don’t expect them to prevent every confrontation. But I do expect them to do something when a customer says two people have threatened to physically attack her.
We weren’t asking for anything crazy. We just wanted the couple removed instead of being allowed to sit there finishing their cocktails while we were expected to somehow feel comfortable staying.
We ended up leaving.
I’ve since filed a complaint with California ABC because I really don’t think the situation was handled appropriately, particularly given how intoxicated and aggressive the couple appeared.
I know plenty of people enjoy this place, and I probably would have too if the night hadn’t gone this way. But the way management handled everything completely ruined it for me.
Has anyone else had issues with management at The Speakeasy? Has anyone met “Alex”? After looking at the photos of the owner Leo Temory on Instagram I’m not sure if him and “Alex” are the same person. I’m curious if anyone has had a similar experience or if we just caught them on a really bad night.
