Lawsuit of the day: Aspen coffee shop sues ex-staffer for turning off espresso machine

In the pilot episode of the cult series The Tick, the title hero promises to deliver "one steaming hot cup of justice." That's exactly what's needed in Aspen, where a coffee shop is suing a former employee for turning off the espresso machine on his last day of work...

By Michael Roberts

January 12, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

In the pilot episode of the cult series The Tick, the title hero promises to deliver "one steaming hot cup of justice."

That's exactly what's needed in Aspen, where a coffee shop is suing a former employee for turning off the espresso machine on his last day of work.

This strange tale comes to us courtesy of the Aspen Times. According to the paper, the parent company of Victoria's Espresso and Wine Bar is suing former employee Zachary Lockwood. The suit claims that last August, Lockwood "intentionally attempted to sabotage [the coffee shop's] espresso machine by turning it off, contrary to all instructions, fully knowing that this would cause the [coffee shop] to miss at least an hour of business the following morning while the machine came back to temperature."

Oh yeah: The folks at Victoria's also want to prevent Lockwood from working at another coffee shop, asserting that he signed an agreement promising not to "disclose to any third party any of the techniques, skills or other knowledge that he learnt as part of training." In addition, this pact allegedly bans him from working as a barista "at any cafe or coffee shop in Aspen or elsewhere in the Roaring Fork Valley for two years after the end of his employment."

Lockwood's response to this action describes it as "frivolous," shockingly enough. Nonetheless, the matter is slated for trial on March 11.

Court TV producers should make their travel plans to Aspen now.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo