Bar group parts ways with co-owner
The ownership group behind popular downtown Phoenix bars Khla, Baby Boy and the soon-to-open The Liar's Club have parted ways with one of its founding members after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.
Misa Hospitality, co-owned by Tyka Chheng, Colton Brock, John Sagasta and Jason Harvey, announced on Wednesday, Nov. 16, that it had parted ways with Chheng in response to allegations against him in an Instagram post by former Phoenix bartender Meagan Northcutt, who detailed inappropriate messages Chheng sent her.
The bars issued quick responses on social media and, according to Brock and Sagasta, the company took immediate steps to remove Chheng from the partnership.
"It has come to out attention that a member of our group @tykachheng has been acting in the most inappropriate of behaviors," read the statement, which was posted on The Liar's Club Instagram. "We have a strict code of conduct in our organization and hold our members to high community standards. He as been ejected from all projects immediately. We appreciate the support of the community bringing this to our attention."
Similar statements followed on Khla and Baby Boy social media accounts. "We have a strict zero tolerance policy for disrespect and disorderly conduct and we hold the entire Khla community to that standard." The post ended with, "Thank you for being a part of our community, supporting the business and what we stand for, and thank you for understanding that even thought humans make mistakes, we have no tolerance for missteps involving disrespecting others."
Chheng was the driving force behind Khla, a cocktail bar inspired by his Cambodian-American heritage.
A day later, Chheng posted an apology on Instagram that has since been removed. "Words cannot describe what I have done nor it excuses it. I apologize to all those I hurt and to those who are in disbelief. The human in me is completely embarrassed, mortified," he wrote. He said he'd leave the industry to get help.
"The bars meant everything to me,"
Chheng told The Arizona Republic, confirming that his separation from the company was permanent. "I wish them only nothing but success."
It started with a social media post
Meagan Northcutt is a former bartender at the Arrogant Butcher and ran the BarBeez podcast, a bartending podcast with Chanel Godwin-McMaken where the two discussed the challenges of being women in a male-dominated industry. On Nov. 16, she posted screenshots of direct messages Chheng sent her on Instagram about her friend, asking "can I?"
"I had just had enough," Northcutt said in a statement to The Republic. "To act like my friend is somehow available for the taking by replying 'Can I?' like she's some object? Gross."
Her post asked: "Why we this guy?"
Fifteen women messaged her privately in response to her story and five asked her to anonymously share screenshots of messages and stories of their own unwelcome interactions with Chheng.
"I want it to be very clear that I never scouted out this trouble," Northcutt told The Republic. "I simply wanted to allow women to share their stories through me."
still supporting
The response in the community and online was swift
Misa co-owner Sagasta responded to Northcutt directly on Instagram when he saw her post on Nov. 16, apologizing for his partner's behavior and assuring her that they would be parting ways with Chheng. Shortly thereafter, the three bars posted apology statements that included the announcement of Chheng's removal from the businesses.
Northcutt thanked him on Instagram in a direct message for taking swift action, adding "I will def. continue to support your business."
Other members of the downtown restaurant community expressed shock and disappointment. Yotaka and Alex Martin, who own and operate the neighboring restaurant Lom Wong, which has no official affiliation with Khla, told The Republic: "As a business who has worked to create a community of inclusion, Alex and I found Tyka's actions to be reprehensible and are glad he's being held accountable by the community and his former business partners. There's no place for this type of behavior."
Others challenged the business owners' response.
Renee Harper, creative cocktail developer for Rattle & Rum, who said she has known the Misa partners for nearly 10 years, questioned whether Chheng would still financially benefit from the businesses.
Racan Alhoch, owner of Saint Pasta and Gemini Pizza, asked the same question in an Instagram story in which he also questioned the use of the words "misstep" and " a normal human mistake" in reference to sexual harassment.
'We immediately cut ties with this person'
Shortly after the apology post, Khla canceled customer reservations and closed the bar for 48 hours.
"When it happened on Wednesday, we immediately cut ties with this person and we decided to close Khla and Baby Boy to give our staff space to process," Brock said, adding that he was concerned about his staff leaving, but so far, all have stayed and been supportive of the decision to remove Chheng.
"I have no idea why it was so quick, but that is something I was happy with," Northcutt told The Republic.
What this means for the future of Khla, Baby Boy and The Liar's Club
Aside from Misa severing ties with Chheng, Jason Harvey also left the partnership. The Republic reached out to him for comment on the circumstances of his departure, but have not gotten a response at the time of writing.
The remaining partners, Brock and Sagasta, say they are taking it one day at a time, meeting with the staff to let them voice their concerns.
"There may be some restructuring and rebranding with Khla, but it's too early to say," Brock said.
For Brock, it was important to address whether Chheng will continue financially benefitting from the businesses. According to him on Nov. 18, he and Sagasta filed paperwork to remove Chheng from the Misa LLC.
"I would have no reason to pay him," Brock told The Republic. "And we had a half-partner in Baby Boy and Khla, Jason (Harvey), who has also bowed out."
As of Nov. 21, the LLC still included Chheng, according to Brock, who explained that Chheng's signature is required to dissolve the partnership and he hasn't responded to requests to sign. "If we don't hear back from him by the end of this week, we will take legal action. We are, however, officially removing him from the (bank) accounts on Nov. 22. That we can do with just two members."
Chheng was also a consultant for The Liar's Club, a new bar collaboration between Misa and Ariel Bracamonte, who also owns Cobra Arcade Bar and Stardust. Brock said this won't affect their plans to open in mid-December.
The remaining owners asked the community not to penalize the staff
By Nov. 20, the apology posts on the Khla and Baby Boy Instagram accounts had been removed and replaced with a story stating that the staff felt like "the post was a scarlet letter they were forced to carry. They said people were attacking them like they had done something wrong."
Northcutt and Harper expressed confusion and anger at the deletion of apologies.
"I have gotten hundreds of thank you messages from people" on Instagram, Harper said. "But for every 10 thank yous from women I have received one message from a man who's worried about Chheng's well being or about the loss of income for the employees. If you have children, specifically girls, how would you feel if it was your daughter going through this?"
"It's created major havoc," Brock told The Republic. "Just losing an operating partner overnight and having to restructure has affected everything. It's crazy how much can change in a day."
Sagasta told The Republic that his concern is for his staff and the community. "Our decisions came swiftly and without internal struggle to protect and respect the lives and feelings of all involved and affected; first and foremost the people that came forward who were directly hurt and violated, his coworkers and our community,” he said.