Capitol Hill Coffee Shop Owner Foils Abusive Complainer

Porchlight Owner Zack Bolotin recently reported an abusive complainer to the police, and the Seattle Police Department lured the complainer to the shop and gave the man a talking to about harassing business owners. According to The Stranger, a male customer called Bolotin to complain about a female barrista that had served him. Since it was the morning rush, Bolotin asked the caller to phone back at a different time:

But after calling back three times in ten minute intervals, more aggravated with each attempt, he barked that he could "hear the smirking over the phone" and proceeded to call Zack a "hipster piss-ant," demanding he should give him free coffee to "make things right."

When Bolotin told the man he was no longer welcome at Porchlight, the phone complainer threatened to come anyway--and to bring a bat with him. Bolotin then called the SPD, who were able to use Caller I.D. to contact the man. The SPD pretended to be a Porchlight regional manager and arranged a meeting with the caller. When the "average looking 30-something man with a fluffy white dog came down and identified himself, several officers stopped him and gave him a harsh warning never to come back and to stop harassing business owners."

· "...and then he called me a hipster piss-ant" [The Stranger]

Zack Bolotin [Photo: Porchlight/Facebook]