I wouldn’t call Skenes indifferent to customers. He’s just focused on things other than the usual. He wants diners to have a good experience. I thought Leopardo was great even though it baffled or annoyed a lot of people.
“'I’ve gone out to many excellent places where you feel like shit after the meal. I don’t want guests to feel that way.”—Joshua Skenes, 2012
Yeah maybe indifference was the wrong word on my part but I never felt good leaving Leopardo! Def some of the worst service I’ve had at that price point over multiple visits…even Happies never refunded me for something they messed up and double charged and I messaged them about and they said they were going to refund. It does seem like when he’s not involved in the day to day his kitchens falter and the service/customer centric parts of his biz are lacking for regular folks and not VIP’s
There’s a whole thread of folks relating the opposite (not anything egregious but vague indifference). Your comment is super general, so I’m not really sure how to even evaluate that ‘focus’ beyond a platitude the chef once said.
I’m just saying he’s not indifferent. That’s clear to me from every interview I’ve ever read and the extreme lengths he goes to to deliver the concepts and quality he has in mind.
I’m not saying that he’s done a great job of ensuring customers always have the experience he wants them to. Maybe he needs a good front-of-house partner for that to happen? Though personally I found the service at Leopardo very good.
Probably this. Not everyone is good at both creative and management at the same time.
I’m getting less and less geeked about the Lynx opening. And this is coming from someone who effing loves to go try new places…
Oh, that’s not okay, and the latter (double charged and not refunded) isn’t okay at any price… 
Not that I condone gratuitous chargebacks, as they cause a ton of headaches for small businesses, but I feel like I would have charged back in this case.
I did! But I reached out multiple times before doing so.
going friday. Will let you all know if he’s indifferent ;p
Yeah, I totally understand. Skenes is the Emperors New Clothes. 25 plus years working in restaurants, easy to spot a phony.
for those who didn’t get in initially, I just rechecked my invite link and a few spots had opened for tomorrow, so long as you don’t have 25 years working in restaurants.
Went here last night. Was perfectly fine. Very much in soft opening vibes. There are ~6 2/4 tops and some bar seats and that’s it (there are outdoor tables but they were not being used last night). If I recall correctly there were about 10 cocktails and 5 pizzas to pick from. Cocktails were mostly standards you’ve heard of with a twist (I.e. a rhubarb Negroni or a “filthy olive oil” martini).
The pizzas were slightly different from what I remember at leopardo. Big ferment on the dough, more firm than Neapolitan. Pretty good all around. We had a pistachio/mortadella pie and a tomato/oregano/olive/anchovy pie, the rhubarb Negroni, a tequila/pineapple/coffee cocktail that was delicious. Everything is $22-26 (all cocktails are $22), service was included. Staff was nice. Seems like maybe you can BYOB (maybe that table was friends w skenes but not sure).
the space was my biggest dud - and nothing they can do about this now. You can hear the ramen place next door if you’re sitting at the tables bc the wall isn’t real. And every time they get a DoorDash order you hear the chime from their computer. If you need the restroom you go into the ramen place and use there’s. This def takes away from any vibe lynx is attempting. But again, too late to turn back now.
welcome
Leopardo closes. A couple of years go by. First there’s chicken. Now there’s pizza that’s “slightly different” from Leopardo in a restaurant named after a different cat. I don’t understand.
Welcome to FTC!!!
And seemingly some of the same cocktails??
Leopardo closed a little over a year ago. Happies opened in June.
I’m going next week, will report back. Getting a reservation was not easy lol