Results tagged “voxpop”

The story of the Statue of Liberty replica that was stolen from progressive Ditmas Park cafe Vox Pop has taken a turn for the tasteless. You'll recall that late last month someone absconded with the 8 foot, 200 pound fiberglass statue, which had been stationed outside Vox Pop. At the time, owner Debi Ryan theorized that the theft "was politically motivated," and it seems she was half right. Idiocy would seem to be the other motive, according to this creepy, nonsensical video that was posted on YouTube over the July 4th holiday weekend.

Early Monday morning someone stole a 200 pound replica of the Statue of Liberty that was bolted outside progressive cafe and bookstore Vox Pop in Ditmas Park, and now the Daily News has picked up the story. It's a nice bit of press for the troubled establishment, which has weathered severe financial storms in recent months—come to think of it, being robbed might not be such a bad publicity stunt for restaurants. Cabrito got lots of exposure when someone stole their goat, and Papacitos recently parlayed a burglary into an announcement about a major expansion. There's nothing indicating Vox Pop orchestrated the heist for free advertising, but owner Debi Ryan sure is at a loss to explain how someone managed to abscond with the 8-foot-tall fiberglass statue, which wouldn't fit in a car. Naturally, she suspects some shadowy right-wing conspiracy: "I have to wonder whether this theft was politically motivated. I mean, we aren't your everyday coffee shop." A "Find Liberty" rally is planned for tomorrow at Vox Pop, where a wide variety of beer, food, and other merchandise will be available for purchase—in solidarity!

Collectively running a lefty cafe and bookstore is just not as romantic as it sounds. Vox Pop in Ditmas Park is in deep weeds; the health department shut down the food-and-beverage operation at the shop in January because of $29,000 in unpaid fines, not to mention evidence of vermin. Now the phone's been disconnected, they're three months behind on the rent, and some locals are worried that the demise of the four-year-old gathering place may signal a broader degentrification in Ditmas Park. Employee Debi Ryan explains to the Times: "There are financial problems due to—I don't want to call it mismanagement, I want to call it lack of management." Former co-owner Sander Hicks, who also founded Soft Skull Press, resigned over the unpaid fines, but it's a vicious cycle: without revenue from the cafe it's hard to raise the money to pay the fines to reopen the cafe. All this has customers like Oliver Moné deeply vexed: "This is aggravating. I like the coffee. I like the place. Dunkin’ Donuts is O.K., but this is prime stuff. I mean, I hate Starbucks. God, I hate Starbucks."