City Pages Unearths Multiple Accounts of Mistreatment by Local Coffee Shop Owner

Earlier today, the alt-weekly City Pages published allegations of verbal abuse and mistreatment of both employees and customers by Greg Martin, the owner of local coffee shop Urban Bean. In a detailed report, the paper relays conversations with several former employees, potential employees, and customers who have had contact with Martin and allege a “pattern of predatory and abusive behavior.”

Accusations surfaced Tuesday through experiences shared with Nadirah McGill, the drummer for Minneapolis band Gully Boys, who is dedicated to amplifying the voices of abuse survivors. McGill posted the messages to Instagram. The paper also obtained a video clip which allegedly shows a man identified as Martin attacking a woman outside the coffee shop’s front door.

In messages sent to a former employee that were shared with the paper, Martin allegedly calls them a “dumb shit hoe” and writes, “I still kill u.”

Multiple Google reviewers describe witnessing Martin belittle employees and customers. A Google review user named Jamie Voelker wrote that a man presumed to be Martin “yelled at the lady in front taking orders to the point I thought she was going to cry.”

Urban Bean recently shut down its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Calls to Urban Bean went unanswered. When City Pages reached Martin yesterday he said, “I’m extremely busy currently. I can’t be on the phone right now. Every time I try to call you or you call me someone walks in the door. My apologies.”

Martin has not responded to Eater’s request for comment.

Martin was last in the news this summer, when he told media outlets that supporters of President Trump should not follow the coffee shop on social media channels.

• Dozens accuse Urban Bean owner of harassment, bullying, threats, and violence [CP]
• Urban Bean Reacts to National Spotlight [SWJ]