PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — World Stage, the former World Cafe Live, was shut down on Saturday after a raid by state and local police resulted in four employees leaving in handcuffs.
Three bartenders and a manager spent Saturday night in a city jail cell after their union said the bartenders unwittingly sold alcohol when the University City venue didn’t have a license.
“Undercover police came into the venue, ordered alcohol and then promptly arrested a number of the bartenders who handled the money directly,” said Mat Wranovics, a researcher with the Unite Here hospitality workers union.
The venue’s liquor license expired in October, but Wranovics said management told the bartenders they were cleared to serve alcohol again.
“I think it's normal to expect that if your employer tells you that everything's fine, that you take them at their word. We certainly don't think that it's at all reasonable to take those people off to jail the night before Easter,” he said.
“It's totally outrageous that workers who did nothing more than show up to work and do their job, when they were told that everything was OK by management, found themselves arrested and had to spend the night in jail.”
No charges have been filed against the bartenders. Last month, venue operator Real Entertainment filed for bankruptcy. Last year, the University of Pennsylvania, which owns the site, started eviction proceedings.
“Given that context,” said Wranovics, “we think … there's a high likelihood that these employers will not continue to operate in this building.”
For patrons like Mike Ruane, seeing the venue shut down was a disappointment. He hoped to see the Grateful Dead tribute band Box of Rain that night.
“Right at 8:00, we walked in the back door that's on the venue level and we both kind of looked at each other,” he said. “We were like, ‘It's really quiet in here.’ For it being showtime, it was very quiet. Then we immediately started to see law enforcement agents were there.”
Ruane said he hopes new management can turn things around for the venue.
“It's a great room. Whoever built the room put the best of everything in it,” he said. “The sound is great, the floor plan is great, the setup, the sight lines. Everything is great about that room. It's just being mismanaged.”
Former CEO Joseph Callahan was at the heart of many changes at the venue last year. KYW Newsradio was unsuccessful in reaching Callahan for comment.
Authorities say venue sold alcohol without valid license; 4 employees were arrested
Authorities say venue sold alcohol without valid license; 4 employees were arrested
