Tag: threat

Continuing Threats and Coverups

Some of the corporate employees had kids who played hockey at our rink. While I really wanted to discuss our issues with corporate and the rink employees, I tried to be respectful of their family time at the rink. I don’t know why I wanted to be respectful of them when they were so clearly disrespectful of us. I guess I still had hope that if we did the right thing and treated people well, eventually they would do the same for us. Now I just feel stupid for respecting our landlord and all the rink employees.

One night, Damon was at the rink with his kid(s). I didn’t want to discuss work problems during his family time, so I asked him to call me when he had time. He asked what I wanted so I pulled out a picture of one of the rink employees in our cafe early in the morning before we opened for the day. He excused the employee’s actions using the same words Todd had used so I knew they had talked and were prepared to defend the rink employee. So I invited Damon into the kitchen and showed him the employee was nowhere near the ice machine in the picture. Damon works at the corporate level, so now the theft cover up goes all the way to corporate. Then the threats began. Damon explained that they had installed new TVs in the bar and they could take them out if we weren’t feeling grateful. What? Is he saying we should be grateful they were updating all the rinks and just let their employees steal from us with no complaints? Now, I’ve been threatened by Todd AND Damon. Is that how hockey franchises work? They just take what they want and lay waste the rest of the world?

At one point in this conversation Damon said, “What do you want from me?” I bet every one of you reading this blog can answer that question. So, why can’t Damon??? Was he not listening all those times I talked to and emailed him and Todd??? I want the employees of a multi-million dollar hockey franchise to stop stealing from me, a senior citizen investing her retirement money. I want the employees of a multi-million dollar hockey franchise to abide by our contract, including staying out of our space when we are not there. I want a multi-million dollar hockey franchise to fix their security cameras and protect our assets. I want the employees of a multi-million dollar hockey franchise to stop harassing us and treat us with the respect we give them. I want my organization and my landlord’s organization to be mutually supportive of eachother’s success. Apparently, I want too much.

Threat Confirmation

One day a rink employee asked me if we would host 2 of their birthday parties in our bar. I told her I would think about it. She said Todd wanted an answer now, so I told her he hadn’t been very nice to me lately and I would think about it. The next thing I know, Todd shows up in my kitchen telling me he has not been mean to me. When I explained I didn’t say he was mean, just that he hadn’t been that nice to me, Todd said, “I can be real not nice”. There it was again, that threatening tone. I’ve allowed this man to steal from me, his people to steal from me, his people to disparage my business and mock me, accuse me of not paying my rent, and now he’s threatening me. At this point, I spoke up and told him this was the second time and he was not to threaten me again. Well, that was it. All the crap I had put up with to keep a good relationship with Todd was now for naught. I was the bad guy for speaking up and Todd made sure I was punished for it. Everything just got worse and worse after that.

I told Todd we would take the parties they had overbooked on the condition that he give us the $50 they charge for using their party rooms. He agreed. In the next 2 years that I was there, he never paid us the $100. I even sent him an invoice and got nothing.

I told Pierre about all this. Pierre is my partner and should help me with these issues. He has known Todd for years and used to work for the local hockey team. Pierre should be able to get these guys on a more honest course. Instead Pierre told me I needed to learn to play nice with the big boys and they would be nice to us. What??? So, it’s my fault they steal from us because I haven’t been nice enough to them? Really? We gave them free food everyday; we gave them a discount on everything they bought; we smiled and joked with them. That’s not nice enough so it’s our fault they steal and sabotage our business? What is wrong with these people? Apparently an ice rink is a very toxic environment when the General Manager is a toxic individual.

I’m telling you all this, because I want you to think about these things before you decide to start a business and before you team up with a partner. It never occurred to me my landlord would threaten me and steal from me. It never occurred to me my partner wouldn’t back me up when our landlord was breaking the law. I just want you to be prepared for anything before you begin. I wanted to think that being kind would conquer all, but I was drowning in an icy cesspool, bleeding money as I gasped for air. This should not happen to you.

What was my mistake here? If I don’t stand up for myself, Todd will threaten me again. If I do stand up for myself, I’m the bad guy. Truly, my mistake was not recognizing that I couldn’t build a business when my landlord was dishonest and my partner didn’t have my back – and no liquor license or private parties would change my fate. I should have quit early on and cut my losses.