Morgan Hotel Group, which serves $15 cocktails at Brasserie 44, may be saying “eff you” (in less polite terms) to the recession in its ads, but the Knitting Factory, when it moves to Brooklyn next year, will lay off all 65 of its staff members except for two managers. Actually, New York Press reports that the layoffs were announced back in April via notes attached to employee paychecks. Staffers described Knit honcho Jared Hoffman, who was recently ousted himself, as a “clueless suit” and their “douchebag president.” The truth is, there have been internal grumblings about the Knitting Factory ever since John Zorn and other musicians who made the club what it was entered into a public feud with its founder, Michael Dorf, taking their acts to Tonic instead. With few of the original musicians or employees involved, and Dorf now off focusing on City Winery, and the club now moving to its third location, why even continue calling this place the Knitting Factory?
Correction: Jared Hoffman writes in from his Knitting Factory address to tell us that the New York Press was erroneous in reporting that he was recently ousted.
Knit Fit [NY Press]
