SideDish reported late yesterday on the ongoing saga at The Chesterfield, where majority owner Ed Bailey has continued his efforts to have bartender and minority owner Eddie "Lucky" Campbell removed from the premises, after an apparent dispute over how to run the business.
Hearing that Campbell was standing his ground and had decided to throw an all-day happy hour, I headed downtown to see what was up (and have a drink or two).
Campbell seemed to be in excellent spirits, mixing drinks at a frenetic pace. The place was packed with downtowners, and a small cheer erupted from the crowd when Lucky announced, "It's happy hour all day!"
Dallas darling chef Matt McCallister was spotted at the end of the bar with a couple friends -- there to support his pal, no doubt.
When questioned about the tumultuous situation at hand, Lucky said, "It's crazy. It's been weird, guys in suits walking around watching me ... It's like the CIA."
As we spoke I could hear the incessant tone of his cell phone emitting from his pocket.
"You hear that? My phone's been ringing off the hook."
So what's next?
"I'm stayin' here till I die... Until the judge orders me out," he said, finessing a lemon twist into a French 75.
Looks like Bailey's got his work cut out if he wants to get rid of Campbell. Clearly he won't be leaving quietly, or without a bar-top speech:
