Jardine's nightclub and restaurant reopened last night for a private party — KC Confidential blogger Hearne Christopher's annual Christmas bash — but rhinestone-bedecked Beena Raja, Jardine's owner, told me that the party marked the official opening of Jardine's with a brand-new staff. A couple of planned concerts scheduled for this week (including Julia Othmer's weekend gig) have been canceled, but Raja says she's moving forward, despite the flurry of negative publicity last week after she fired 15 employees.
And where were those 15 employees last night? Most of them were attending a holiday benefit — that's how it was billed — for the ex-Jardine's staff (now best known as the Jardine's 15) at the Point. The benefit was much more crowded than the KC Confidential bash — although I'll admit that I left Jardine's after staying only an hour — and a lot livelier. Several local musicians were performing for the benefit, but few wanted to go on the record as being there, because they might want to work at Jardine's again. "That is, if it stays open," says one musician.
A reporter and cameraman from KSHB Channel 41 was interviewing benefit organizer Carrie Brockman (a former Jardine's general manager who quit several years ago) when I arrived. Brockman was showing off one of the benefit's commemorative T-shirts, illustrated with a cartoon figure of Raja holding both a tiny dog and a spray can.
"It's pepper spray," Brockman says. "She's spraying on the word jazz."
Blogger, author and server David Hayden got to the benefit late from his job at the Majestic Restaurant but says he was "surprised by how positive the mood was."
"Like a lot of restaurants, the staff at Jardine's really treated one another like family. They had to deflect a lot of flack from their fellow employees for so long."
The flack has flown both ways lately on social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, where Raja has defended her actions to a barrage of angry commenters and former employees. Still, not everyone has sympathy for the Jardine's 15. A former waitress, not connected with Jardine's, told me that the nightclub's story is a sad tale, but firings — even whole staff firings — are not uncommon in the restaurant industry. (And it's true. I worked for an abusive restaurateur back in the 1970s who impulsively fired his serving staff on New Year's Eve — but only after stiffing all of us for that night's tips.) "I'm not a friend of Beena's," says the waitress. "In fact, I can't stand her. But bosses fire employees all the time. It's part of the business."
But right before Christmas?
Raja didn't want to comment on her former staff's complaints when I was in Jardine's last night, but she has hired a new staff of nice-looking young men.
"We'll see how long they last," says one of the Jardine's 15. "The real Beena will come out sooner or later."
Carrie Brockman says the benefit raised $270 for the fired employees. "And they were thrilled, seriously. It was a sappy love fest with everyone hugging each other. It was really beautiful."
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Kathy: Your daughter mentioned your displeasure with the situation during our conversation, but the post was never meant to imply that you were interviewed about this situation.
For the record, I was not interviewed for this article but somehow included as if I had been.
Kathy Quinn
Fox 4 News
What a great night! I wanted to add that Jeff Stacey, owner of The Point, called today to add another $100 for the group. The turn out and community support means so much.
Check with Dave Stephens too. I pulled this quote off his page:
"Dave Stephens: I'd be happy to answer any questions about that situation. No, we have not received any payment for any of our recent shows at Jardines. Not a penny."
Support Jardines and you're supporting all of Queen Raja's employee and substance abuse!
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