#volunteerparkcafe

[juliahoskins]

Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington State.

A day exploring a the ‘burbs, imagining a different way of life.

[hellogoodonpaper]

Back @volunteerparkcafe for another round of delicious food (at Volunteer Park Cafe) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsl-VwTlDG9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ezfqhqwf16t9

[pet-diary]

Lost cat sign spotted near #VolunteerPark. Anyone seen him? I’ll take this post down soon, but just want to help spread the word for this guy. Hope the owner doesn’t mind me posting… #volunteerparkconservatory #volunteerparkcafe #seattle #seattlewa #lostcatsofinstagram #seattlecats https://ift.tt/2NlL5Oi

[indieflixceo]

Breakfast of champions before the trip back to #whitmancollege miss my girl already. Love you ❤️@natalieandreen3 so much! #volunteerparkcafe #seattle (at Volunteer Park Cafe)

[exburkeemployee-blog]

What it’s like to work for Ericka Burke

She has her charms. She has an entire PR team to portray her well, have her cook at 'sold out events' and even an annual kick of volunteer work for Fare Start. She's fun to be around--a good host. But first things first: she has a severe substance abuse problem that, like all addicts, tarnishes everything around her. She won't pay you--there was never enough money in the account, so your checks will bounce. She won't apologize for this either, but instead confront you and say ''what, do you want me to pay you out of my own pocket?'' with a black eye from the guy she was dating that beat her up in the office of Volunteer Park Cafe. She portrays herself as weak, and this is all part of her manipulation. ''Sure,'' you tell yourself, ''I'll hold off one more week to ask her for money because she has it so hard right now'' as you show your manager your $48 negative bank balance so that she can give you a loan scraped up from the cash in the daily drops. "We just need more people to come in, I just need to be better at my job" you say, because the job isn't really that bad. She runs her managers to the ground by expecting them to do so much, but giving them little access to anything. Denying them a salary increase because 'of that comment he made about keeping up with cleaning the dishpit.' She schedules herself to work, doesn't show up, and leaves the staff stranded. The level of denial that she has about herself and her current situation is pretty baffling, even maddening. Blaming the 'lack of funding' (the investors paid Chop Shop's hefty rent for many months), construction, the street, the building, etc etc etc when really it was all decisions she had and hadn't made in the past year that led to Canal and Chop Shop closing. Becoming so sloppy drunk at Chop Shop's bar after she pours herself bottle after bottle of wine, putting a few in her her purse (for good measure), before driving herself and her toddler home, completely shit faced. Somehow, she has collected some incredible people around her. I feel like we were all sold the same story. If we just worked harder, got more publicity, created better dishes, that everything would get better. Nothing was easy, and it never got better because the problem all along was Ericka. Every single day there was a catastrophe of some sort, that all could have been avoided (for instance, telling the sous chef that she would place the product orders, but then neglecting to do so). She calls herself 'an adrenaline junkie,' but never thinks of what this does to the people who are so dedicated to her and her ideas. I wish someone had told me what it was like to work for her before I invested a year of my life and so much energy with her. I wish that one of her past failed partnerships (Linda and Heather, I'm looking at you) had been more open and honest (ie 'she steals money from the tills' or 'she's a drunk mess' to name a couple). Ericka Burke is a deluded, selfish person who has never had to be accountable for any of her reckless behavior. Thankfully for Seattle, she has burned many bridges with the close of Chop Shop. So while she's posting on Instagram how she's 'partying on!!!' in Gig Harbor only a week after Chop Shop has closed, the entire Chop Shop staff is now suddenly unemployed and still waiting for their past month's pay to come through. None of us received a single 'thank you' from her or even an apology; she has reached out to not one of us. We heard from the GM who had been there less than a month that Chop had closed. I feel like I've just left a terrible, abusive relationship that I can't fully separate from (because I would really like to be paid for the work I have done). If you care at all about humans being treated and compensated fairly, boycott Volunteer Park Cafe and any future Ericka Burke establishments. You can assume that even after ten years of service at VPC, that the staff's checks still bounce, and that she is stumbling up the stairs while discussing remodeling her beautiful new apartment with a contractor. 

[butlersihaveknown]

8:30 am breakfast? On a Sunday? You bet. #volunteerparkcafe #breakfastwithfriends #myseattle (at Volunteer Park Cafe)

[illmakeitmyself]

Open-faced #mushrooom #sandwich and #coffee at #VolunteerParkCafe #food

[minhcarrico]

My last stroll through The Hill on my way to the park and meet the family. Then back to this location for dinner at Volunteer Park Cafe. #igers_seattle #grryo_lost #grryo #lastdaysonthehill #volunteerpark #volunteerparkcafe

[jewishinseattle]

What do we love? A place you can get a cup of matzo ball soup on a rainy Seattle day in the middle of summer. We'll even forgive them for not omitting the noodles over Passover. Thank you Volunteer Park Cafe.

[josie-in-wonderland]

French toast is a must have in the weekend long birthday celebrations of princess Nick @nickgalaxy #yummy #foodporn #frenchtoast #carmalizedbananas #volunteerparkcafe #breakfast #brunch #instayum #instagood (at Volunteer Park Cafe)

[juliahoskins]

Volunteer Park and Volunteer Park Cafe, Capitol Hill, Seattle.

[hellogoodonpaper]

Grilled cheese from @volunteerparkcafe and a beautiful Seattle sunset 🌅 (at Black Sun (sculpture)) https://www.instagram.com/p/BslV_zHFRve/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2jzmhqq3m6qt

[ann-vu]

Caramelized banana brioche fench toast melts in my mouth... #Brunch #VolunteerParkCafe #SunnyDayDelight

[hellogoodonpaper]

Met up with some old friends of ours @volunteerparkcafe ❤️ (at Volunteer Park Cafe) https://www.instagram.com/p/BslQNN3ldW5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14342uutoa26h

[illmakeitmyself]

#birthday #coffee at #VolunteerParkCafe with @spot_o_matic #seattle