“I’ve been in the industry my whole life,” says Sirjoon Elassal. “I’m pretty equipped to take this restaurant over. And not in the way of just taking it over.”
A hub of arts, culture, education and medicine, the east side community has struggled to craft a unifying experience across institutions and attractions.
“This is a passion project for us,” the developer said. “We’re looking forward to when all the connective tissue is in place and people cannot just walk but sit and have a cup of coffee with someone.”
Behind the glitz of the $150-million expansion lies a dysfunctional and hostile culture for employees, some say, with 70% of staff recently signing union cards