This Is A Safe Place

When it comes to the Punch Bowl Social culture, ours can be simplified into one simple, black and white sign that hangs near the front door at each one of our locations. The sign has just three sentences: 

  "This is a safe place.

 We value your color, class, creed, gender and orientation.

 Anything less will not be tolerated." 

I recently spoke with Joshua Graber at Guernica Magazine about how, in these charged political times, there's a tremendous opportunity for businesses to make a positive statement and help affect change. For us, it's being a protector and shelter for all people. As I told Joshua, "We're happy to have people consider us safe to the extent that we're a protector. You're only going to feel safe if you feel protected, and not everybody needs to feel that way...but if that's helpful for them in their daily lives, that's important to us." 

To be clear - we did not post this sign lightly. It keeps us all highly accountable -- from Punch Bowl Social guests to staff to the leadership team. We read it often. 

My hope is that every single time this sign is encountered at the front door of a Punch Bowl Social, these three sentences remind us/me/you of the powerful responsibility we each hold in changing the world and making it a safer, more positive place. 

You can read the full article here.