The rumor I’ve heard is that the owner was overheard dropping the n-word while in the bar itself. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know anything firsthand, and I haven’t even been to the Cardinal itself in about two months. Most of my friends and I stick closer to the square or go over to Fells.

If the owner did in fact drop the n-word, that’s abhorrent and I support the staff quitting and whoever else boycotts the place. The only thing I’ll say—in NO WAY defending the use of that word in ANY situation or context—is that I knew the Cardinal’s owner from their previous bar. Didn’t know them super well, but always friendly and on a first-name basis, and based on my interactions, those allegations genuinely surprised me, as I never took them to be the type of person to say such vile things. But, as I said, if it happened, fuck ‘em.

Most people I talked to were not surprised by the accusations here. Owner has a pretty big history of pissing off a lot of people in the area.

Kind of off topic, but why the hell are the lights not red on the Cardinal sign?

Certainly can’t dispute anything you’ve heard; only wanted to speak to my own interactions. Fortunately I’m able to not know too much about Cantonian drama because I don’t go sniffing around for it. I only heard about this because the regulars at the Cardinal seem to still go to their previous bar a lot, so I only heard about this while drinking with a few of those guys.

I liked this bar and the people that worked there, but the owner was a COVID MAGA idiot.

>But, as I said, if it happened, fuck ‘em.

The owner is a known COVID idiot.

But thanks for the info! Hopefully I can find out where some of the staff moves.

I heard the same thing, from a friend who knows someone on the staff. She dropped the n word multiple times in the bar talking about the mayor and most the staff quit.

Jesus Christ. That’s horrible.

The topic never came up when I interacted with her, and I simply never heard that about her from anywhere/one else. I believe you, it’s just news to me.

The owner is a Covid-denier idiot. When schools were still requiring masks, she forced her son(elementary school) to go without one then live-streamed herself complaining while her son was crying in the background. The N-word allegations do not surprise me in the least.

Randomly went there a couple times not knowing anything about it and enjoyed the food and the cute vibe of the place, but from my couple interactions with the owner (admittedly brief and limited), she seemed to be quite drunk both times. Hazards of owning a bar perhaps? But that's crazy about everyone quitting!

A friend ran into former staff member he’s friends with last night post game and the staff member told him the same thing.

Any time I went in there, which wasn’t many, the staff was fantastic and she was a complete asshole. In addition to everything everyone else mentioned, I know someone who lives very close and she wasn’t good to the neighbors, either. I say good riddance. I’m surprised it took this long and hope it wasn’t a one-off and she stays closed.

Gotcha. Apologies if I was a bit harsh. I am just so sick of giving my money to these people.

Wow that’s awful. Just to be clear (bc I don’t live in canton anymore)… this is the “new ish” owner, right? Didn’t the cardinal tavern change hands a few years ago? Because the menu completely changed and they no longer do southern cooking/fried chicken platters and I thought someone told me it was new management or owners

Yes, that’s all correct.

Thanks. Just in case people who used to go there 3+ years ago are reading this. The entire menu and culinary focus had changed due to this new, maga idiot owner.

Kinda hope the old owners buy it back! Bring back those fried chicken platters!!!

There was some drama she caused about a fundraiser for the school and having to share a pizza party with her kid’s grade vs only having a party for the winning class that didn’t earn her any good will either. It’s like she was trying to make people mad.

Wait what?? Alice? Damn, I would not have guessed that based on my interactions with her. That sucks

Just to clarify, the good food owners sold it to a guy who changed the menu a few years ago. I went there in like, maybe 2019, and it was kind of asian-fusion-influenced food in a kind of southern-themed bar. That failed relatively quickly and one of the owners of Mahaffeys bought it. It was a quick improvement (not saying much) but I’m really disappointed to hear about all this. She was one of my favorite bartenders and helped me plan a surprise birthday party for my now wife upstairs at Mahaffeys. Gross.

It’s crazy because I’ve know the owner for awhile and she’s always been really cool but since COVID she’s done some crazy shit. Sometimes people don’t always make the transition from bartender to bar owner well.

Maybe you're "one of them" too, then...

My buddy was there one night with his gf and a friend from out of town (and his gf too). Well, the friend was drunk and puked in the bathroom - proceeded to tell the bartender and apologize about the mess before leaving. They said nbd, it’s a bar, it happens. Next morning the owner found my buddy’s gf on Facebook (via credit card receipt I assume) and messaged her ripping her apart for this saying how she had to get a cleaning service, that she needs to control her boyfriend (wrong person), blah blah blah. Incredibly unprofessional.

The owner Alice is a trainwreck of a woman.

She's the former part-owner of Mahaffey's. Dennis, the full owner is her exhusband.

if you've met her you'd guess alright.

She's been owning a bar. She was a part owner of Mahaffey's with her now exhusband for like 8 years prior to this. She's a shitshow.

I know I used to visit her at Mahaffey’s sometimes when she was a bartender and when they owned it. I hope the rumors aren’t true but I did see some of the posts she made about masking and all that and wasn’t a fan of that.

Oh shit maybe you’re right, maybe I am unknowingly anti-vax and a MAGA… you know except for the vaccines and voting for Biden lol.

Yeah, they ruined Mahaffey's from what it used to be before they took it over. You could tell they got the cheapest food off the Sysco menu, and I don't even know what she is going for at Cardinal.

But you couldn't see through the veiled racism of Aliki? WEIRD

It was her first or second Canton Neighbors post, where I screenshotted and sent to all my friends, and it was very clear who was batshit insane.

Can we get a rundown of non-problematic/antiMAGA bar owners in Canton? I'm running out of places I feel comfortable spending my money.

Can someone paint the doors red instead of that ugly ass teal blue?

I didn’t know there were other places that are problematic/MAGAboner. Which ones should I avoid?

Idk dude obviously I didn’t see that. We had regular pleasant interactions years ago at Mahaffeys. My experience with most MAGA people is that they advertise it. I was surprised and disappointed to hear all this. That is all.

Do not know what their potlical affiliations are, but the owner of Lee's Pint and Half Shell was a giant shitty asshole throughout most of the pandemic.

Sounds like you're white, been around this shit your whole life, and don't know how to identify it apart from "pleasant interactions".

Of course she was pleasant to you. But did you listen to her opinion on anyone else? I feel like I learned the lesson that bigots are often "pleasant" to people who look like them, in uh, Middle School.

Most probably keep their politics to themselves, but as a group of people, bar owners aren't wildly different than other small businessfolk--it's a life that both selects for and encourages reactionary shit.

You have some serious issues to work through…

I mean, I also know of a few that have some DV issues, so I won't give them dollars. I'm not gonna put names out there because people can look through the sub and find that. I just want to know where the progressive bar owners are so I can fill their pockets instead.

The owner of all the Lee’s locations is a psychopath and most definitely a denier and MAGA blow hard. I once saw him get in a fight with and fire one of his bouncers because he did his job not letting someone in. But that someone happened to know the owner. Like a screaming rage filled fight in the parking lot in front of everyone. The dude is trash.

Living near Lee's sucks, they are terrible neighbors.

Not in canton but just down the street in fells is Greyhound Tavern. Very progressive /LGBTQ friendly. They have great cocktails and Molly (one of the owners) frequently comes up with awesome sangria flavors that rotate seasonally.

Love greyhound!!

I'll be checking this out this week!

And here I had just responded to a job posting for them. I love working in bars and was hoping to pick up shifts there

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Really glad someone sent this thread to me before following through

Dennis is the absolute man. Nicest dude in the world and yeah, he’s doing a stellar job with Mahaffey’s. He’s not trying to make it something it’s not; he’s not trying to expand or make it huge. He’s keeping it a cool neighborhood pub. Can’t say enough good things about him and how he runs Mahaffey’s.

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I know several people that worked for Alice and none of them have positive things to say about her.

Someone just called her out on the Canton neighbors page on Facebook

Yea they seem to act like they own the whole street. I walked by once during the 'social distancing takeout' phase and it looked like they passive-aggressively made the line spacing way too big to push the line down the sidewalk in an almost 'if I have to do this all of you that live here must suffer' kind of way.

Didn't they just take over the street for some party thing a few weeks ago? I was wondering if the even bothered to tell the people who live there it was gonna happen?

She made a post yesterday about deleting her Facebook because people were being mean to her

Not surprising at all to hear.

I miss the fried chicken! Any idea if the previous chef went somewhere local and it’s being served???

Yikes, chill out. Not everyone’s experience around another person is going to be the same, and not everyone pays attention. Also, it’s a bar, where people drink, and don’t always comprehend who they are talking to 🙄 and agreed with @velveteen311, you have some issues to work through.

Eek, hadn’t heard much about her. I do know that I didn’t care for Mahaffey’s after Wayne sold it to her.

They do it about 6 times a year, it's a mess of drunks stumbling around the streets trying to find alleys to pee in and harassing near-by restaurant owners to use their bathrooms which if allowed they destroy.

So it's the commenter's fault for being white? Go to therapy.

A lot better now that Dennis is the full owner

Upvoting for visibility but I hate this

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Cardinals are red not teal..

The owner prob talks of ‘liburel tears’ but who’s crying now? 🤣🤣

Exactly the point of that request. It was red. The first thing the owner did when she bought it was paint everything teal.

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At this point it seems easier for Fells/Canton to make lists of the few places that are good to go.

She's always fighting with the PTO on the HHA FB group and threatened to physically fight another parent on the green top. She is a lunatic.

Had a feeling this thread was headed straight to Lees

you had really good points im sorry you got downvoted

the fuck is wrong with you?

I might get downvoted, but I’ve talked to her in person many times since she lives near me, and she’s always been friendly. I hope the rumors about her aren’t true, but maybe give her the benefit of the doubt if it’s just 2nd hand or even 3rd hand info since this sounds pretty life ruining.

she used the n-word _several times_ and her entire staff quit. the rumors have substance behind them. just because she's friendly to you doesn't mean she's a good person.

Seems like they're hiring...

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Regular neighbors or the unleashed one? Didn’t see anything on the big canton neighbors page

I’m not saying she isn’t capable of having said it because she’s been friendly to me but “I have a friend who’s friend works there and said” seems too far removed to ruin her life. How do you know she definitively said it?

Yikes on several bikes

They are not rumors, these are facts. My child goes to school with hers and I have witnessed all of this. I have personally commented on her covid denials during COVID and she ripped me down and then saw my SO out one night and had the audacity to ask if he was “still with that girl” you know my name dude, don’t play that game.

unleashed

I’m specifically talking about the allegation that she said the N word in the bar and her staff quit in protest, which was the reason given for why they’re closed. From what I’m reading so far, it doesn’t seem confirmed, but just a rumor through a few degrees of separation. Simply saying that until that’s confirmed, her life shouldn’t be ruined. If it’s confirmed, then ruin away.

I don’t think there will ever be confirmation from her staff because of her history of harassment when people speak out against her. There is loaaaads of proof of this. I truly can’t blame them.

But then that is not a fact, it is a rumor… please never serve on a jury.

Someone in management had to do something bad to make the whole staff quit.

This is a side note. but what bar owner doesn't open in time for football games. She's opening at 2 on Saturday and Sunday. That's prime time for the bartenders to make money.

Can confirm. Friend of mine who is a regular reached out to our group chat the morning after it happened (last Wednesday).

Snippet from said text:

"...(the owner) was drunk in the bar, using the n word ... quite heavily."

Followed by patrons and staff asking her to stop, and her refusing and saying she had a "pass" because someone told her she could say it.

Multiple people walked out that night and I believe the rest of the staff followed suit in the days after.

All members of said group chat agreed with the "fuck that" sentiment and are now contemplating buying the spot when she is forced to sell.

Do we even know that the whole staff quit and that she didn’t just run out of money or something else?

There is some irony to everyone bashing her for being a Covid denier and then just blindly accepting that she’s using the N word in her bar as fact because they read it on the internet.

My friend gave me where at least a few are going (Huck's, AT, Pig and Rooster, Chausser).

I used to frequent there and hang out with the bartenders. The entire staff quit. Know this from reactions of former staff on social media, but feel free to ask around in your circles

You trying to get in her pants or something? You've posted the same thing 5 times already.

I actually saw her on Bumble and swiped left, so no.

They were closed last night. Pretty sure they’re open right now.

The other things stated were facts. This is what I was referring to, kindly pull your head out of your ass.

Her being a Covid denier is a totally separate and independent issue. The rumor is she said the N word and her staff quit. Nobody seems to have any actual proof. My point seems pretty non controversial, actually have a first hand account rather than anonymous 2nd hand reddit posts before cancelling her over that specific issue.

If she said it, then agreed it’s horrible and she deserves what she has coming.

Go post about your “facts” in Canton neighbors with your actual name tied to what you think constitutes facts and see how that goes for you.

Yassss I love how the staff isn't just all talk in being allies 💅🏿💅🏿💅🏿 I stan the downfall of cardinal

Woah wtfffff

I don’t get the point here? I have already stated I was specifically referring to all of the other shit she has done, Covid, being a trump lover, embarrassing her child, being violent towards other parents, etc. The “rumor” you are referring to is just here say because again no one wants to deal with the harassment when speaking out. I don’t need to crowd peoples feeds for things we all already know.

The point is that none of the things you listed are why the bar is allegedly closed since she’s presumably been a Covid denier for 2 years now.

People are saying that she said the N word and her staff quit over it. I’m saying that’s a rumor and people should have some actual proof or at least say they heard her say it before writing about it online.

I’ve stated several times that I think the other things you listed are irrelevant to the main point of why the bar is closed currently.

Pasta Mista is Trumpy. They used to have a Trump sign on their cash register bashing Biden for inflation.

Every time I have seen her, she has been drunk and unpleasant

My husband and I are moving from AZ to a rental in Canton while we look for a house—would appreciate guidance on places to patronize, but also places like this to avoid. A big reason we’re leaving AZ is to escape Maga madness. TIA

Moved from AZ to canton last year. DM me for any questions.

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I hope this is satire, else, you should also seek therapy and try to form an original thought.

I was her neighbor when I lived in Canton. Not surprised at all.

i hope you unpack any racial biases you still have ❤️

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That’s far too many acronyms!

Avoid Lee's Pint and Shell

Will do, thanks!

That’s wildly inaccurate. Mr MaHaffey sold it directly to Alice and Dennis. When they divorced, Alice sold her portion to Dennis who has owned and operated it since then.

Cardinal tavern, bud. Note that this post and all of the comments are about cardinal tavern. Mahaffeys is only mentioned because Alice was an owner, before buying Cardinal.

My fault. Misread that