This is not another bar review about a 'dog whistle' racist dress code in an upper crust area of town disparately applied to people of color. This is a think piece. This is an unthink piece.
65 days after 77 degrees opened, it has overheated and decidedly so. For all you numbers geeks, here's the data: 3.2 rating on Facebook and 2.5 rating on Yelp. Maybe you're thinking to yourself-I thought she said numbers...is that all you got? Well, when you take a deeper dive into what the numbers are saying it's pretty impressive that a place only a couple of months old has singlehandedly sunk its own brand. You're probably wondering how they managed to do that and we will get to that.
Let me paint an important picture for you or introduce you to a guy named Austin. Austin is chill. Austin is middle America Cali. Austin is liberal. Austin is unpretentious. Austin is millionaires with full sleeves driving F150s on the weekends and Teslas during the work week. Austin is 'I don't give a shit" personified. Last one, Austin is alright, alright, alright- so how did this place get it all wrong, all wrong, all wrong. Two words: dress code. In a land where designer flip flops and YETI coolers can get you a steakhouse upgrade...a MF'ing dress code?!! Do you really think you should be telling Austinites how to dress?
And do you really think that when merely a year ago the Austin-American Statesman ran an article about how "Austin's discriminatory history threatens its future," that its really time to be in the slightest bit, suggestively discriminatory? I mean it did wonders for the housing and education industries but what's the economies of scale for discriminatory dress code practices? Like how does a new bar owner decide in a back office team meeting we are going to actually turn business away without any test or edge cases supporting the very thing they are trying to prevent.
Let's get some details going: So a private establishment in an area of town that is becoming densely populated with other similar private establishments posts a sign and the sign reads: NO 1)flat bill hats-all hats must face forward, 2) baggy and oversized clothing, 3) sleeveless clothing 4) athletic or casual clothing, 5) ripped or cut clothing, 6) non service camouflage, 7) work clothing and 8) exposed or oversized chains. So clearly Popeye and Two Chains couldn't frequent this establishment but who else? Who is this policy designed to keep out...really? Enter the Vice President of national non profit, a high ranking State Dept. official and a doctor. They were wearing well fitted shorts (one in camouflage because he's ahem military like State Dept "it's classified" military), polo shirts, a combination of new balance, Chucks and Jordans. You guessed it the guy in Jordans who had on tailored black jeans and a Madewell button down-DENIED. I won't tell you their race for fun. So these guys whom just happened to be old college pals head to this bar-only to be denied access. Not only were they denied access but they were ridiculed, humiliated and disrespected. A debate ensues about what athletic wear ensues-trust me these guys are in their late 30s, "athletic" is hyperbole. Trust me there are pictures of guys blowing past them in jerseys but I will let the pictures speak to whom was/wasn't denied access. Calls for management and names were rebuffed so these gentlemen decided to sit outside the bar for the next 5 min and take pictures of all the fashionable people that were granted entry. That were blatantly in violation of the dress code. That were dressed similar to the three super accomplished classmates that were denied entry. These really smart guys finally left and took there business a few doors down. They called their friends who were inside and and asked them to close out their tab and join them at a neighboring bar with more class, one that let anyone in willing to have a great time and pay for drinks because that's what bars do they provide a background for great time and they sell you great drinks. They don't reinforce history lessons in strange places. They don't tell people how to dress in Austin. Well behaved people probably don't dress well in Austin but they are obnoxiously connected and they've seen Miami, Vegas, NYC and LA door shade done right. Austin doesn't do door shade, it's just not how we are wired. We are weird and we like it that way.
Closing this thing out: if there is business logic driving discriminatory dress code? Please tell. Is there empirical data associated with particular name brands and fashion decisions that predict undesired behaviors or people? Please tell. If not, maybe 77 degrees should cool down and rethink how they choosing to make a splash on the Austin bar scene. We are not above playing dress code hokey pokey but just make sure that we all turn around before we all fall down. read more