Irving Blog

How 700 outraged Facebook comments vanquished the 7 Sins Bar and turned it into a beloved family restaurant

Irving has always had issues with bars. It bans them, for instance.

Last year, the city council let restaurants serve slightly more alcohol than before. Some feared this would corrupt the town.

Then, on Saturday:

It looked… like a bar. It looked bad. Even worse than Pancho’s, whatever Pancho’s was.

What indeed? The 7 Sins Bar and its painted devil women had appeared as if conjured into that strip-mall and unsettled the citizens. They began to fight about what to do.

Some made suggestions.

Others mocked them.

And things got personal.

As the argument dragged on, speculation ran rampant.

Finally, some facts emerged.

But facts only made things worse.

Risque drinks, pool and hookahs. There was something for everyone to hate at the 7 Sins.

And things got really personal.

At least someone finally explained what Pancho’s was.

Finally, some committed to action. They’d take it to City Hall.

They’d take it to the bar itself.

But then the mayor, who was getting used to being tagged into local Facebook spats, came to calm the crowd down.

In fact, the 7 Sins Bar had been closed the whole time the people had been fighting about it.

It had opened in late January without proper permits, according to the city. Inspectors had noticed it few days before the Facebookers and closed it while the owners sorted out the paperwork.

By the time the mayor returned to Facebook with an update, the business had its permits and was open again.

But the mayor’s words caused rejoicing. The place was back in business, sure, but its troubling name and sign were no more.

And there things might have ended: yet another would-be bar vanquished by the vigilant citizens of Irving.

But then something happened that no one had expected.

The 7 Sins’ owners came to Facebook to face the crowd. And she wasn’t a monster; she was a mom! And she felt bad for upsetting people.

Little by little, curiosity overcame concern.

The owner began to win the people over.

She even took suggestions for a new name.

And a new menu, since the 7 Burgers of Sin were out.

Some still grumbled, but others began planning dinner trips. And thus did the savvy owner of the 7 Sins Bar—or 8th Wonder Mediterranean Restaurant, or whatever it’s called now—find a way to Irving’s heart through its stomach.

The 7 Sins Bar debate spanned 700 comments across two Facebook groups, not counting personal wall posts.

You can read the extended version here, here and here. Beware that it contains foul language and very strong opinions about Pancho’s.

Photo credit to Debbie Fleck for the 7 Sins whitewash shot.

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