My other dog is banned from my favorite coffee shop for her breed. Regardless of her good behavior!
As those of you who know me are aware, I drink a lot of coffee. I have been a client of the Coffee Exchange on Wickenden Street for nearly a decade (Jason has for over a decade). We figured out recently that we spend over $60 a week on coffee.
I am ashamed to admit that I have friends who had worked at the Coffee Exchange, who left because of how horribly they were treated by the owner, Charlie Fishbein. I have been told by more than one person that Charlie doesn't brew free trade organic coffee because he cares, but because he knows it will make him a buck. I apologize to my friends that I didn't stop patronizing his establishment for how he treated them. I was wrong.
This evening my husband Jason, and my two dogs Moto (a 20lb Shiba Inu) and Piglet (a 56lb Pit Bull mix) were sitting on the patio at the Coffee Exchange, waiting for me to meet them. Piglet was wearing her pink turtle neck sweater, and blue windbreaker, while sitting on the cushion we carry for her (she gets cold, and cries if she has to sit on the cold ground). Piglet was sitting quietly with Moto, when Charlie comes out and informs Jason that he "Has a dilemma" and that " Customers complained that they couldn't sit on the patio because there was a pit bull outside." He tells Jason that he doesn't think he can allow pit bulls at the coffee exchange (not all dogs, just pit bulls). Another regular customer overhears his comment and tells him "that he may as well ban Jews while he is at it". I show up at this point and tell him how disappointed I am that he would be so narrow minded as to discriminate against a breed, and that I am amazed at how bigoted Rhode Island is against a breed. He say he doesn't care about Rhode Island or even Providence, just his business. I asked him if he was aware of the backlash he would face because of this decision. He said his staff told him there would be a back lash. "But he has a business to run". I asked him if his customers complained that there was a black man sitting on the patio, if he would ask him to leave. At which point he said he had to go.
I am asking anyone who reads this to consider writing a polite letter to the coffee exchange, or calling them and telling them that breed discrimination is wrong. And then I am asking you to take your business elsewhere. This man has said himself, he "doesn't care about Rhode Island, or even Providence, just his business". So let him know that his business will suffer because he is making such a discriminatory policy.
There are vicious dogs out there. Of all breeds. And I could go on and on about how they are merely victims of abuse and cruelty or in-breeding. But this is about punishing good dogs, because of the ignorance of others.
I will miss hanging out at the Coffee Exchange . I enjoyed their coffee, and their staff has been consistently lovely over the years. But I will never go there again.
Please, if you share my outrage, let them know. Do it properly though. Please don't curse anyone out or threaten them. This only hurts the cause. Just let them know you will be drinking a lot more coffee at Reflections up the street. And then take your business there.
Let them know that discrimination of any kind is wrong and should never be tolerated.
The Coffee Exchange
207 Wickenden St.
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 273-1198
1-877-COFFEE4
Charlies email
charlie@mailordercoffee.com
I am ashamed to admit that I have friends who had worked at the Coffee Exchange, who left because of how horribly they were treated by the owner, Charlie Fishbein. I have been told by more than one person that Charlie doesn't brew free trade organic coffee because he cares, but because he knows it will make him a buck. I apologize to my friends that I didn't stop patronizing his establishment for how he treated them. I was wrong.
This evening my husband Jason, and my two dogs Moto (a 20lb Shiba Inu) and Piglet (a 56lb Pit Bull mix) were sitting on the patio at the Coffee Exchange, waiting for me to meet them. Piglet was wearing her pink turtle neck sweater, and blue windbreaker, while sitting on the cushion we carry for her (she gets cold, and cries if she has to sit on the cold ground). Piglet was sitting quietly with Moto, when Charlie comes out and informs Jason that he "Has a dilemma" and that " Customers complained that they couldn't sit on the patio because there was a pit bull outside." He tells Jason that he doesn't think he can allow pit bulls at the coffee exchange (not all dogs, just pit bulls). Another regular customer overhears his comment and tells him "that he may as well ban Jews while he is at it". I show up at this point and tell him how disappointed I am that he would be so narrow minded as to discriminate against a breed, and that I am amazed at how bigoted Rhode Island is against a breed. He say he doesn't care about Rhode Island or even Providence, just his business. I asked him if he was aware of the backlash he would face because of this decision. He said his staff told him there would be a back lash. "But he has a business to run". I asked him if his customers complained that there was a black man sitting on the patio, if he would ask him to leave. At which point he said he had to go.
I am asking anyone who reads this to consider writing a polite letter to the coffee exchange, or calling them and telling them that breed discrimination is wrong. And then I am asking you to take your business elsewhere. This man has said himself, he "doesn't care about Rhode Island, or even Providence, just his business". So let him know that his business will suffer because he is making such a discriminatory policy.
There are vicious dogs out there. Of all breeds. And I could go on and on about how they are merely victims of abuse and cruelty or in-breeding. But this is about punishing good dogs, because of the ignorance of others.
I will miss hanging out at the Coffee Exchange . I enjoyed their coffee, and their staff has been consistently lovely over the years. But I will never go there again.
Please, if you share my outrage, let them know. Do it properly though. Please don't curse anyone out or threaten them. This only hurts the cause. Just let them know you will be drinking a lot more coffee at Reflections up the street. And then take your business there.
Let them know that discrimination of any kind is wrong and should never be tolerated.
The Coffee Exchange
207 Wickenden St.
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 273-1198
1-877-COFFEE4
Charlies email
charlie@mailordercoffee.com
Comments
Wow. People are such assholes. I hate the people that raise awful pits and the media that overblows everything and ruins any shot at an overall good reputation. Last night I was at the humane society having my face just about licked off by a few of these "vicious" animals.
Get Tommy Caffey from the Hill to take care of it for you! (If you don't watch Brotherhood on Showtime, this wont make any sense at all).
Have I posted this picture yet?
I have started a pretty big email campaign. The way I look at it, he is banning pit bulls, next will be rottwheilers, then akitas.
He out right said to me he doesn't care about responsible owners, just his business.
I am working on spoiling the hell out of this pup.
She is currently lying at my feet in a sunbeam as Moto is grooming her.
I LOVE IT! I love seeing pit pics because I see my Sasha in them even though she has the rottie colors.
I cant wait to hear the saga continue.
You may be some random person in Canada, but you now are always welcome in RI as far as Piglet Moto and I are concerned!
*update*Charlie has begged his staff to ask me to stop. He knows I am friends with a lot of his employees. He will not apologize or promise that he won't ban pits (I hate calling them that, AmStaff) in the future. Heis such a bad bad man.
I have notified every local animal rescue, as well as some not so local, as well as every pet store, dog park, and dog organization, as well as our local pet magazine. The magazine had listed the Coffee Exchange as a dog friendly business.
He apparently has already been flooded with emails.
I'm not done yet.
GO JESSICA GO!!!
Quick question since I am no expert. Aren't "Pitbulls" technicaly different than AmStaff's? I thought the American Staffordshire Terrier was a purebred dog that can be registered where as "Pittbulls" are usually a mutt-mix that is mostly AmStaff but has other types of dog bred into it over the years. Any clarification you can offer would be helpful.
Brandon, technically there is no such thing as a pitbull. It is a term used to describe 3 different breeds with similar characteristics
American Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Here, go to this link. It has a fun game of find the pitbull. I got it right on the first try. Most of my friends have not. But it is pretty informative.
Find The Pit Bull
couple other good links
Bad Rap Breed Info
Breed Temperament Statistics
Please do write letters. Charlie needs to understand that dog lovers are a big group and that one would want to nurture a relationship with us not sour it. And that dog lovers love all dogs (even bully breeds)
"Brandon, technically there is no such thing as a pitbull. It is a term used to describe 3 different breeds with similar characteristics "
This is kind of what I thought, along with it being a mix of multiple breeds. I've played the find the pitbull game before. I remember reading about someone taking a poster board with dog pictures to a meeting in a city where they were going to ban pitbulls. They asked the Representative who was in charge of the legeslation to find the pit, he couldn't do it.
Thanks for the links.
Also, if no one has ever seen this video:
http://gprime.net/flash.php/thepitbullproblem
It is a good little video that someone put together about pits, it is a bit explicit though.
The owner of the coffee exchange asked one of his employees for my phone number. I told him I do not feel comfortable with him calling me. I would much rather he email me so that anything he has to say I have in writing.
This man leaves a trail of slime behind him wherever he goes.
That is creepy! I would also (if any discussions are had) have him address you and Jason. He has no right to have your number and it is INAPPROPRIATE to do so and get others involved because HE is ignorant. UGH!
We went to the dog park yesterday and there were about 10 pit's, such a gorgeous site.