How to become my least favorite place on the planet

I admit, I should have posted this last week, when the events referenced were more relevant.  However, I made the decision to wait based on two criteria- I wanted to see how the general public would react, and I wanted time to really process my own thoughts on the matter so I didn't wind up sounding like a kindergartner calling someone a poopface on the playground. Well, I've had enough time to think, and I'm finally ready to write.

On April 3, a friend of mine, Arianne Fielder, was fired from her mixologist position at Parish in Inman Park, Atlanta. I heard about it through Arianne's Facebook page. Now, had it had been a normal firing announcement, I probably would have just thought, "Bummer", and went about my day. However, Arianne wound up finding out about her firing in a much worse way.  EaterAtlanta announced that Parish had decided to go "another direction" with its bar program,  and that Arianne no longer was employed there. That one post was Arianne's first exposure to said news. That disgusts me.

In this day and age of mass and instantaneous communication,  there is no excuse to take such a cowardly approach to releasing an employee. Especially as Parish is a small part of the larger Concentrics Restaurant Group, a company known for its involvement with high profile restaurants and Richard Blais. In what backwards backwoods way of thinking did their upper management ever think that going that route was ok? If they were comfortable enough to make a statement to Eater, they had clearly already made up their minds long enough in advance to inform Arianne first. It could have been a respectable, dignified break. Instead, they pulled the employer's version of whipping their tits out for 'Girls Gone Wild'. Honestly, after hearing about this, what self-respecting mixologist (nevermind even just a halfway competent one) is going to want to work for them? I myself am not going to say my employment record is completely unmarred, but now there is no way in hell you could convince me the Concentrics restaurants are worth applying at.

What I'm also finding disappointing is the lack of coverage by the local food and beverage media. I have only seen one other mention of this event, and I would like to think I keep decent track of the Atlanta area food and bev news.  Pretty Southern did a piece after Arianne's post (http://prettysouthern.com/2014/04/04/atlantas-best-bartender-gets-fired-via-the-web/), and that is all I have seen. I wish more people were reacting. How on earth can we help support our fellow industry professionals if incidents such as this are kept so quiet? I hope this changes. I hope Concentrics realizes what a really shitty mistake they made. In the meantime, I will not be entering into any restaurant/bar/kitschy provisions shop that they have any hand in. Shame on you, Concentrics. I can't wait to see what undoubtedly better place Arianne winds up at next.