Microsoft Razes The Bar

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
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Microsoft Razes The Bar


No, that's not a typo, Microsoft top brass have decided to axe plans to open a bar on their Redmond campus.

The bar - named Spitfire - was almost completed when Microsoft abruptly pulled the plug, and when I say almost completed, I mean they had deals with food and drink distributors, hung signs announcing the opening and hired 22 staff. Spitfire was due to open tomorrow.

Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos had this to say, "The goal was always to create a cool gathering place for employees, but to do so in a manner that's consistent with a business environment. We took a second look at that, and we were sensitive to the business environment. We decided we should do something more appropriate, and that meant not having a pub."

Perhaps I'm biased, after all, I come from the UK, a nation of drinkers, but this seems like a bit of an own goal for Microsoft. I can't imagine that many employees were going to be stumbling into their cubicles blind drunk.

Bar owner Jonathan Sposato was equally baffled: "I am completely stunned and disappointed by the decision," he said, "I am confused by the sudden change of heart." Sposato declined to comment on how much he and his partner had invested in the project, only saying that it was 'a lot'.

He hopes that it won't have to come to litigation, pointing out that the site could easily be turned into an alcohol free restaurant.

Source: Techflash [http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Microsoft_cancels_plans_for_on-campus_pub__42823757.html] via Gizmodo [http://i.gizmodo.com/5208048/microsoft-teetotalers-hate-fun-cancel-nearly+completed-pub]

Image [http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddb/56593265/]



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ElArabDeMagnifico

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Dec 20, 2007
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I wanna be the guy who asks "why did you take so long and how did you not think of this before you built the place, hired the staff, and got the supplies?"
 

Zombie_Fish

Opiner of Mottos
Mar 20, 2009
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Yeah, well Microsoft do all sorts of stupid things nowadays:
-Bill Gates owns an iPod and
-The 'I'm a PC' advert was made on a Mac.
 

cleverlymadeup

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Mar 7, 2008
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i think it's kinda stupid as a pub is a rather social place and lots of business is done while having a casual drink.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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I'd love to know their reasoning behind not having a pub.

Especially if it's only just come about.

Perhaps they could have it in a church, but then that would have stained Windows.
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

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Apr 8, 2008
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Was there a meeting last year that went something like, "Okay, folks. Now that we've laid off some of the staff, what should we do with the money we're saving?"

I mean, I'm as confused as anyone why the pub was suddenly considered a bad idea. But I'm equally confused as to why any sort of place of this caliber was being planned in such an economic environment in the first place.
 

Cousin_IT

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Feb 6, 2008
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Lvl 64 Klutz said:
Was there a meeting last year that went something like, "Okay, folks. Now that we've laid off some of the staff, what should we do with the money we're saving?"

I mean, I'm as confused as anyone why the pub was suddenly considered a bad idea. But I'm equally confused as to why any sort of place of this caliber was being planned in such an economic environment in the first place.
wanting to be like Google probably
 

Sewblon

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Nov 5, 2008
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If it was going to open tomorrow they could have at least given it a chance or just made it a non-alcoholic restaurant.
 

Fingerprint

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Oct 30, 2008
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Maybe the people at Microsoft thought the profit margins were too high and had to do something drastic about it i.e. building, furnishing and getting staff for a pub they wouldn't ever open... just a thought.
 

Inverse Skies

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Feb 3, 2009
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I work in a liquor store and would get fired if I came to work after having a drink... I can understand companies not wanting their employees to work under even the slightest influence of alcohol. Now coffee, thats a different story...
 

Pipotchi

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Jan 17, 2008
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RougeWaveform said:
nilcypher said:
a nation of drinkers,
is there any nation that isn't "Of drinkers"?
True in a literal sense but not many nation approach drinking like a national sport, Brits, Irish and Polish spring to mind (at least in my experience)
 

TsunamiWombat

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Sep 6, 2008
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Garuntee it's PC bullshit, someone shit a brick about there being a pub on a Campus. They definatly owe the owners all the money they invesed and thensome, though. Pulling out at the last minute like this leaves them in an actionable position.
 

ElephantGuts

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Jul 9, 2008
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Yeah I can't help but wonder what made them decide a pub was a bad idea so suddenly, after all the planning and construction and everything.
 

Avatar Roku

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The_root_of_all_evil said:
I'd love to know their reasoning behind not having a pub.

Especially if it's only just come about.

Perhaps they could have it in a church, but then that would have stained Windows.
*buh dum-tish!*

Anyway, you really do have to wonder why they would wait to shut it down until right before it could start turning a profit.