When the West Village bootlegger “Employees Only” opened on Hudson Street 20 years ago, stars flocked to it for VIP treatment.
But that's not the bar's MO
Months after the splashing water fountain opened, Madonna's representatives tried to clear the place so Madonna and her staff could drink in private.
“We were happy to have her, but they didn't like the layout of the dining room because it was too open. There were no separate booths. Her team was worried that she would be a nuisance. We were worried,” co-founder Dusan Zarik told the Post.
“She was turned down because she wanted to have the whole dining room to herself, but we couldn't accommodate. Of course we felt terrible,” he said.
It wasn't about Madonna. Zalis also recalled that the team turned away the Olsen twins' party of 12 because they didn't have a reservation. (Meanwhile, Prince William and Duchess Kate dined in the backyard after making reservations, and Elon Musk stayed until last call at 4 a.m.)
This week, Employees Only, named one of the world's best cocktail bars at the Spirited Awards, celebrates its 20th anniversary with guest bartenders from around the world.
And the typically tight-lipped staffers treated celebrity guests like Bill Murray, Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Cuban like any other New Yorker who somehow walked in the door, the Post reported. spoke.
“We didn't want to make a fuss if a celebrity came. That's not our style,” Zarick told the Post. “A lot of these people are used to being in a place where everyone kisses their butts.”
Murray first showed up because he wanted his palm read by the restaurant's resident psychic.
“He came in to have his palm read by the psychic at the front, and when he looked through the curtains he saw there was actually a bar inside. [then] “Can you make me a dirty martini?” Zarick recalled of the “Lost in Translation” star.
“I was speechless. I've never been star-struck, but he's my favorite actor. I said, 'Sir, make me the best dirty martini I've ever had. I'll give it to you.'' And I personally hate dirty martinis,” Zarick said. “So I made him an Extra Dirty Martini and he tried it and said, 'No lie, I'll be back next week for another one.' grabbed a drink and continued his session with the psychic.
Other A-listers preferred to stay under the radar. When his manager approached Leonardo DiCaprio, who was late to a burlesque show one Sunday with a “much younger model,” he said, “No pictures allowed.”
But the woman told him, “No, I want you to move for the performance.”
Before she married “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost in 2020, Scarlett Johansson blended in with the employees-only crowd.
“We sat her at a table in the corner, and for over a year no one bothered her. She didn't come dressed up. She was really down to earth,” Zarick recalls.
But he added that he saw less of her after a fan recognized the “Avengers” star and requested a photo.
Among those willing to pose for fans was “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban, who also left a $1,000 tip and challenged the bartender.
“He went back there, put his jacket on and played a little bit,” Zarick said. “I was so excited.”
But the best thing happened before everyone started posting photos on social media.
“People were getting up and dancing on the bar. We didn't have iPhones. We didn't have social media. You could be really invisible,” Zarick recalled. .
The patrons were always so loose and cheerful that the employee-only staff referred to the cozy nook between the bar and the front windows as the “Uncomfortable Corner.” And the bar's lost-and-found section is filled with souvenirs from the night patrons indulged, including designer shoes, jewelry, and even a diamond engagement ring discovered in one of the booths.
When Employees Only opened in December 2004, the five mixologists Zarik, Henry LaFargue, Igor Hadjismaylović, Jason Kosmas and Bill Gilroy focused on fresh ingredients, but also We saw the potential for a craft cocktail bar that didn't take itself too seriously. The Manhattan's image of high-proof fries, inversely proportioned vermouth, and a touch of Grand Marnier ignited both imitators and outposts in Singapore, Sydney, and Los Angeles.
And 20 years later, everything old is new again, Zarick said.
Back in 2004, the espresso martini was a staple. “I poured that stuff out like a river, and then it died,” Zarick said, calling it “dead and buried.”
Currently, the drink is not yet on the menu, but it is EO's most frequently ordered cocktail and generates $1 million in annual revenue, staff told the Post.
Zarik said, “I came out of the grave.”
