ONALASKA Wis. — An amateurish podcast by male managers at Angelini’s restaurant turned brutishly sexist and set off a firestorm of protests. The 10-minute video, hosted by owner Tony Angelini, explored why the managers prefer male servers. Among their points in the crude and socially repugnant video:
> “Women get offended easily” while men can “handle a joke.”
> “Women cannot handle the pressure.”
> “Male servers are more direct and — you know, at the tables — and pay attention and stuff like that.”
> “Women cannot deal with their emotions as good as males.”
> “Male servers are more professional and bring in more money.”
The video has gone viral. The question now is whether the ristorante can survive the backlash. The foursome of managers show themselves as an unpolished bunch who feed off other’s malevolent views and vile vulgarities. It’s nearly impossible to count their variations on “fuck” as a noun, verb and adjective. Plainly they all slept through Mrs. Riley’s fifth-grade grammar lessons. About manners and common decency, well, obviously they never heard of Emily Post. The setting is inside the cheaply decorated Italianesque ristorante. The cuisine is undeniably hearty and draws people back — although not everyone. Angelini has a reputation himself for gruffly berating customers who show up without reservations. Some turn around and leave. Some take a table but never come back.
Foursome online. Angelini’s owner Tony Angelini hosts the podcast, usually weekly, with restaurant managers Carm Fiore, Matt Johnson and Kevin Opalka. The series is called “The Bad Boys of the Food Industry.”
High-traffic corner. At 1427 U.S. Highway 35. in LaCrosse suburb of Onalaska. At Riders Club Road roundabout.