World Cafe Live protests continue as staffers are fired and threatened with legal action

The conflict between the new leadership team of West Philadelphia music venue World Cafe Live and employees escalated on Thursday to include firings.

Employees continued to picket on the day after Wednesday night’s walkout when, during a Suzanne Vega concert, they protested “an unacceptable level of hostility and mismanagement” by the new leadership.

On Thursday evening, the management team headed by new CEO Joseph Callahan responded by firing some employees involved in the protest and announcing plans to file a formal complaint to federal authorities and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

In a statement titled “World Cafe Live Responds to Employee Walkout and Reaffirms Commitment to Community and Transformation,” the leadership said Wednesday’s action was “not only disruptive to our guests, but also resulted in significant reputational and operational damage to the organization.”

“The individuals involved in this walkout have been terminated with cause, and are permanently banned from the premises,” it said.

On Wednesday, Sophia Mattes, the night box office manager, read a statement in solidarity with her coworkers that demanded “on-time and accurate pay” and said “the work environment has become hostile to the point of staff safety being questioned.”

Mattes confirmed that she and four other staffers had been served with termination papers outside the venue on Thursday evening. In addition, another source said, two other staffers not involved in the walkout were also sent termination letters.

Those firings follow the resignations of WCL’s longtime COO and general manager Kerri Park, as well as programming director Helen Smith and ticketing and guest services manager Hayley Simmons, all of whom had their last days this week.

On Thursday night, shows went on with Philly’s interstellar musical travelers Sun Ra Arkestra and its 101-year-old leader Marshall Allen downstairs in the Music Hall, and for Sudanese American musician Sinkane upstairs in the Lounge.

When Sinkane and his band members, who blend African pop with electronica and funk, were told of the labor strife, he said he planned to speak out in support of the workers from the stage.

With reduced staff, the box office was closed, and there was no food service available.

“The management is more concerned with the protesters than solving the issues,” one protesting employee said.

The WCL statement said the organization has “retained counsel to file a formal complaint to federal authorities and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office,” citing:

Callahan took over as CEO and head of the World Cafe board this spring, succeeding Hal Real, who founded the venue in 2004 and converted it to a nonprofit in 2019.

According to the WCL statement, as of January 2025, the venue “was carrying over $6 million in accumulated debt” and suffered from “a culture of complacency and entitlement” that created “a dynamic that stifled innovation and smothered the growth potential of an organization with such extraordinary purpose and potential.”

The statement concluded: “World Cafe Live is not just a venue. It’s a home for music, community, education, and equity. … And to those who have sought to undermine this vital cultural institution: you will be held accountable.”

“We are rebuilding stronger, more transparent, and more community-driven than ever before.”

Outside the venue on Thursday afternoon, the protesting bartenders, guest service workers, and box office staff who gathered on Walnut Street shared a sharply contrasting perspective from that offered by WCL management.

Roughly 15 protesters assembled with signs that read, “Callahan Has Got No Plan,” “Keep Philly Independent,” and “No AI. NoMetaverse.” The staffers also launched a SaveWorldCafeLive page on Instagram.

Mattes said the past month has made her physically sick. “My anxiety and my mental health were not well,” she said. “I was scared, and a lot of us were scared, to walk out on [Wednesday], but I do feel relieved. I feel like something good will come of this, one way or another.”

Novalee Wilcher, who works in guest services, said Callahan’s presence has been a “crushing” blow to the venue’s operation, and she’s unsure how the place will survive going forward.

“Those who have been fired,” she said, “have been texted by coworkers, not management. So, there’s no communication about how to deal with these demands that we brought up to them, which shows a total disregard for the artists that are supposed to be playing, or how it affects the guests that are coming in, who have paid for their nights.”

» READ MORE: World Cafe Live workers walk off the job at Philly venue

Following Wednesday’s walkout, Wilcher said Callahan has threatened to call the police on her and other staffers as a form of intimidation. He even suggested their strike was “unlawful.”

She said she was locked in a room on Wednesday over a piece of personal mail that one of Callahan’s representatives “confiscated” and “withheld” from her.

Refuting Callahan’s claim of a $6 million debt, Mattes said former staff have verified that debt to be around $2.7 million.

“The fact is, we do need funding,” Mattes said. “But a big part of the problem with this new team is that we don’t believe that VR and hologram concert experiences, and taking the people out of this building, will be what draws people in more.”

Referring to Callahan’s plans to introduce automated servers, bartender Emilia Reynolds said, “I’m nervous about losing my job to a machine that can’t safely serve somebody, have them enjoy their night, and get them home safely. That’s my job.”

“Not even to mention, people woke up yesterday without a paycheck. That was the last straw,” they said.

Mattes and her coworkers, they said, are prioritizing funding efforts to “save” WCL but added that the leadership refuses “to listen to anyone who disagrees with them.”

Despite their indifference, Wilcher said she and others were willing to negotiate with Callahan. The crucial step, she said, was getting management on the “right path,” but, the staffers claim, it appears the tech entrepreneur isn’t looking to change course.