A friend texted me the Huff Post criticism of Kimbal and Next Door / Kitchen last night. I read it, and said, damn, this doesn’t sound good. Sounds fraudulent. Luckily I had Kimbal’s partner Hugo’s cell, and texted him—”is this accurate? Anything I’m missing here?” Something like that.

He called me this morning, had a lot to fill in, seemed open, honest, grounded. I then offered to get an article or video out not in defense of them, as that’s not my role, but to get out some more info. I asked them whatever I wanted, including many critical and specific questions, and questions sent to me by ex-employees.

My only interest here is the truth, not sides. ~ ed.

Waylon talks with Kimbal Musk & Hugo Matheson of the Kitchen/Next Door about Restaurants & Pandemic.

The Coronavirus has hit the hospitality, retail, restaurant industries like a bomb. The Kitchen / Next Door, like most, has had to more or less shutter and lay off many employees.

Elephant’s been talking about this for a month, now, but we’ll alll need to invest our attention and money and sweet selves in our local communities now, and much more soon, when restaurants and cafes reopen. We can not afford to live in an online, cloistered, Amazon world long-term.

A friend sent me something of a hit piece in the Huff Post, alleging that Kimbal and Hugo were closing or misusing their Family Fund to employees or ex-employees in urgent need. It made various digs at Kimbal’s last name, and wealth, all of which are fair game (his last name, and wealth, come with benefits, too), if there’s misuse or messed-up ethics. So I asked them what’s up.

Here’s our conversation.

A few bullet points:

1. According to Hugo and Kimbal, 41 folks have been paid out via the Family Fund in the last 2 weeks, not zero. I’m sure they have proof, as the fund is run by a third party.
2. Kimbal gives out his email if you’d like to ask for some help, below.
3. I’m not on their side, or Huff Post’s side—I don’t care about sides. I do care about ethics, and that’s what I was after. If I messed up, the fault is mine alone. I found both gentlemen open and forthcoming and genuinely concerned.

While the Huff Post piece is troubling (when it was forwarded to me last night by a friend, I found it troubling), it’s a good habit in this Facebook/Insta/Twitter world to always look for all truth before jumping to conclusions.

And here’s our conversation. Some employees and ex-employees asked questions in comments, and I asked those as well as those questions I had via the Huff Post article.

Check out Elephant’s Continually-updating Coronavirus Diary. ~ Waylon

Join us this Friday, free: Elephant Community Covid Retreat.