Baltic Kiss may have found a lifeline, but lost the trust of some employees along the way

The decor at Point Richmond’s Baltic Kiss can only be described as eclectic. Gold mermaid statues sit on either side of the front door, booths and chairs are upholstered with leopard print, and gold crinkly fabric. There are disco balls of various sizes, hanging lanterns, fairy lights, mannequins with mohawks, a painting of a naked woman gifted by former Richmond Mayor Tom Butt, hand-painted swirling ceilings … the list could go on and on. 

When Tony Carracci and Suzie Vasko, known as “Miss Suzie,” the co-owners and couple behind Baltic Kiss, first came to the place, every single thing in the space was, as Carracci described, “poop brown.” After they moved in, they transformed all of it in seven weeks. Now, it’s a little bit of everything: restaurant, bar, BBQ food truck, concert venue, and even a clothing pop-up when Vasko does her “Miss Suzie’s Funky Finds” pop-ups on the weekends.

Despite hosting all of those things in one location, the Baltic Kiss has been struggling financially and deployed the full toolbox of strategies — online fundraising, benefit concerts, soliciting outside investment, and community outreach — to keep the business afloat. 

Now, Carracci says the two-month campaign was successful and the Baltic Kiss will survive, but the news of the restaurant’s resuscitation did not arrive before some employees grew despondent with management, quit and filed complaints with the California Labor Commission regarding thousands of dollars in unpaid wages. Court records in San Francisco and Contra Costa Counties show Carracci has been sued for breach of contract numerous times in regards to his various business ventures dating back decades, and previous business associates say he has a history of missing payroll. The former Baltic Kiss employees who now find themselves in the same position say the business needs a new captain, or it will inevitably sink. 

The Baltic Kiss must still settle its debts and chart a sustainable business plan, but many in the community hope the business, which has a storied history as a Point Richmond watering hole dating back more than a century, will find a way to keep going.

A plaque in the Baltic Kiss chronicles the building’s long, storied history dating back 121 years. Credit: Jungho Kim

Resuscitating a historic gathering spot

Together, Carracci and Vasko revived a historic neighborhood treasure, injecting new life into a space that was originally built in 1904 as the Baltic Tavern. The structure has been home to many ventures including city hall, a saloon, a funeral parlor, a speakeasy, and a brothel. 

All of the interior design is by Vasko while Carracci is the chef. Vasko’s background is in hair styling, and she has always been interested in design and fashion. She channels that into the Baltic Kiss decor, which is perpetually changing. The day Nosh visited she was redoing a section of the wall adding in black and white striped wallpaper. Carracci and Vasko said this is nothing compared to their home — that’s where they let the creativity go. 

You wouldn’t necessarily know what you were about to enter as you walk down Park Place in Point Richmond, which Carracci described as “a little Hamlet.” It is tucked between Kaleidoscope Coffee, Extreme Pizza, and the Richmond Public Library West Side Branch. The Baltic Kiss is one of just a handful of East Bay live music venues north of Berkeley.

Before starting Baltic Kiss, Carracci ran the Black Star Pirate BBQ food truck. It used to park at the Point San Pablo Harbor before finding its new home behind Baltic Kiss after they lost their lease at Point San Pablo after about a year of owning both places.

Tony Carracci and Suzie Vasco opened the Baltic Kiss in August 2022. Credit: Jungho Kim

Born and raised in San Francisco, Carracci is a chef by training. In 1984 he wrote the menu for Cha Cha Cha, the Caribbean tapas restaurant in the Haight in San Francisco. In the 90s, Carracci owned Cat Club in San Francisco, and in the early 2000s he opened a venue called the Pound also in San Francisco. He had Cat Club for around 20 years, and the Pound for roughly a decade before he retired from the nightclub business to go back to being a chef. In 2005 Carracci was sued by an investor who lent him money for improvements to the Pound, San Francisco Superior Court records show, and in January 2006 he agreed to settle the lawsuit for $750,000.

When he owned Black Star Pirate BBQ during the pandemic, he started hosting live music since all of the seating was outside and could fit the social distancing guidelines. That got him back into mixing his food with live music. Baltic Kiss was a step up from this. 

Carracci said owning Baltic Kiss has been “a whole different monster” than his time operating Black Star Pirate BBQ. He still has the BBQ food truck in the back, which is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday. Carracci makes all his own spice rubs and sauces from scratch and describes his food at Baltic Kiss as Southern comfort food and BBQ.

“We wanted to give the community and just Richmond in general a really fun, cool place to go,” Carracci said. “It has great food, entertainment and music, and I think we’ve done that.” 

The restaurant and bar features an eclectic collection of decorations. Credit: Jungho Kim

Debt weighs down Baltic Kiss, impacts employees

In the last year, business has gone down and Carracci said they’re behind on everything. They still have debt from when they started, their rent went up, and the rising costs of food, liquor, and insurance compounded to make the situation unsustainable. 

Carracci also feels there has been a cultural shift —  people aren’t going out like they used to, and young people have stopped drinking as much. His anecdotal impressions are backed by research. One study showed members of Generation Z drink 20% less alcohol than Millennials, the generation before them.

Part of that may also be due to rising costs for both restaurants and the customers who are buying the food and drinks.

“Whereas before you could for 20 or 40 bucks go out, buy your friends drinks, have a great time. Now for 40 bucks, you’re lucky to get three drinks,” Carracci said. 

Baltic Kiss’ building is owned by Baltic Square Joint Venture, which sued Baltic Kiss before the close of 2024 over overdue rent totaling just under $30,000. Carracci confirmed they’ve been struggling to pay the rent which has risen dramatically. They knew the rent would rise, but they weren’t prepared for other costs rising at the same time. Their rent started at $1,500 per month and has risen to $4,600 per month according to the complaint, which was filed by Daniel Butt, property manager and attorney for Baltic Square Joint Venture.

“They’ve been patient,” Carracci said. “But they can only be patient for so long, and I can dig that.”

However, according to several people with knowledge of the Baltic Kiss’s operations, the problems go much deeper than rising costs and changing customer habits. 

Baltic Kiss started a GoFundMe in January and has been holding benefit concerts to help keep the business open. Credit: Jungoho Kim

Former employees and freelance contractors said the management of the Baltic Kiss appears disorganized and they frequently hit speed bumps or roadblocks on their way to getting paid for their work or services. In more than a half dozen interviews with former employees, coworkers, contractors, and other business associates, nearly every person described Carracci as someone who has fantastic business ideas, is a talented chef, and knows how to create a vibrant atmosphere, but who struggles to handle the accounting and administrative tasks of running a restaurant. 

The Baltic Kiss did not carry general liability insurance, a legal requirement, until late last year when Daniel Butt filed the court motion. As part of the negotiations between Butt and Carracci that allowed the Baltic Kiss to stay open past the new year, the Baltic Kiss acquired the necessary insurance coverage and also paid in advance for January and February rent. The back rent of nearly $30,000 is still outstanding. 

“We are supportive of the business and supportive of Tony, but there are certain basic things he needs to do. He needs insurance, he needs to pay his bills, he needs to pay for trash and other utility costs,” Butt said. 

At least two employees have filed complaints with the California Labor Commission seeking back pay from Baltic Kiss. One, former bar manager Casé DaMoude, who quit in early February, is owed nearly $30,000 for unpaid shifts going back several months, according to the filing. 

“Tony is a Peter Pan – he doesn’t want to grow up,” DaMoude said. “He sees a lot of money and takes it and runs. He has great business ideas, a couple of them are still thriving, but they are not his anymore. He’s great at starting businesses but horrible at managing money.”

DaMoude started an Instagram account, Baltic Kiss Employees, to take some of their grievances public, including not receiving their 2024 W2 tax forms, while the fundraisers were ongoing. 

Baltic Kiss’ issues keeping up with accounts are not new. In November 2023, Bi-Rite Restaurant Supply Co. sued Baltic Kiss for roughly $6,500 related to unpaid invoices and a judgement was issued in Bi-Rite’s favor. 

Additionally, former coworkers and employees of Carracci said the pattern of poor money management existed at his earlier businesses. The Cat Club, which Carracci sold in 2005, ran a benefit program during COVID-19 shutdowns in which customers could buy plaques and have them inscribed with whatever they chose, and the money went to keeping the club open through the early days of the pandemic. One person who had worked for Carracci, according to sources familiar with the situation, chose to purchase a plaque and have it engraved with “FUCK YOU TONY, PAY ME.” Court records show Carracci was sued and lost judgements multiple times for unpaid invoices and other debts while he was involved with the Pound and Cat Club.

Angel Ziehm, a Baltic Kiss bartender who quit and filed a labor commission complaint around the same time as DaMoude, lives in the area and valued the Baltic Kiss’ place in the community, but, as a single mother working multiple jobs, she hit her breaking point as the back pay owed climbed north of $11,000.

“I love what Baltic Kiss brought to the community. It was magical watching the older regulars from the pub down the street who are normally so reserved come to the Baltic Kiss and drop their personas and dance and be free,” Ziehm said. “I wish he paid us. Finding out he did this multiple times in the past was heartbreaking. I hope he never does this again.” 

The Baltic Kiss is one of only a handful of East Bay live music venues north of Berkeley and hosts shows multiple times a week. Credit: Jungho Kim

Can the Baltic Kiss take advantage of another chance?

Even the employees who say they are owed tens of thousands of dollars want the Baltic Kiss to survive, but many people who have observed or are familiar with the internal operations believe Carracci and Vasko are not equipped to manage the financial affairs of the restaurant and music venue. 

Carracci and Vasko said they were energized by the community response after the Baltic Kiss’ financial struggles were publicized, and they are more motivated than ever to keep the business running. 

“It’s way more than just a restaurant and bar,” Vasko said. “There’s so many friendships that have been born here.” 

The first week of January, they started a GoFundMe page seeking to raise close to $100,000 to “cover the outstanding startup costs, get back on our feet financially, and move forward and build a sustainable future for Baltic Kiss.” While some donors gave as much as $1,000 in the first few weeks of the campaign, the fundraiser has sat around $11,000 for several weeks. If they do close, they said they’ll give people a choice on if they want to get their money back or not. 

Many people Nosh spoke to commented on wanting the Baltic Kiss to remain a part of Point Richmond’s nightlife scene, but not everyone shares that sentiment. In March 2024, Carracci was arrested by Richmond Police for an altercation outside the restaurant. The district attorney did not file charges, citing insufficient evidence, but some community members encouraged a boycott of the Baltic Kiss as a result. In December, a band performing at the Baltic Kiss announced their show on Nextdoor, and more than one person commented on the post that they no longer go there because of the incident. 

Carracci was dismissive of the idea that the altercation impacted the success of the restaurant or its fundraising campaign. “Those people never came to the restaurant anyway,” he said.  

The GoFundMe page has been a familiar trend across restaurants teetering on the brink of closure. Bartavelle launched one to help out with closing, as they still needed to pay their vendors and staff. Three OneFour pizza started a GoFundMe in January as well, citing “operating capital issues.” Owning a restaurant in the East Bay has many owners leaning on their community as margins become thinner and thinner. 

Carracci said he plans to pay all of his back rent prior to a March 9 deadline and also settle past due payroll in the coming weeks, after securing two investments in the Baltic Kiss that he declined to offer details on. 

“It’s really too bad and I feel sad about it,” Carracci said. “We got behind and it really bothered me. And what bothered me the most was not paying my employees – they are my most important thing.”

The Baltic Kiss is part of the small business community in Point Richmond. Credit: Jungho Kim

Payments to the two employees who filed complaints are required to be sent to the labor commission, and Carracci said he plans to take the grievance to a hearing, as of yet unscheduled, to contest some of DaMoude’s claims. In response, DaMoude said, the items in the complaint Carracci is contesting make up a fraction of the money he is owed. 

“I honestly would get coffee with Tony, but I would not work with him again,” DaMoude said. “In a lot of ways the Baltic Kiss is heartwarming and amazing. I don’t hate the guy. I just want my money. He gives you this energy that makes you feel amazing, but you aren’t rewarded for it monetarily.” 

DaMoude and Ziehm said they felt going to the labor commission was their last resort after numerous occasions when Carracci missed payroll, checks bounced or checks were post-dated. Nosh reviewed messages between DaMoude and Carracci that confirmed a few such occasions, and Carracci acknowledged post-dating checks as he struggled with Baltic Kiss’ finances. 

In one of multiple interviews with Nosh, Carracci agreed that his primary talent is as a chef and concept creator, and he struggles with the administrative side of the business, adding that he plans to hire an office manager now that the Baltic Kiss is positioned to stay open. 

“I’m a chef,” he said. “If I can give the money part of the responsibilities to someone, I’ll be happier than a pig in shit.” 

Daniel Butt confirmed that Carracci told him on March 4 that he has secured new investment and plans to pay the back rent and other debts in the coming days. 

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Butt said. “I’ve been telling Tony for a while that he should have an accountant or office manager, and I hope he does finally bring one in. I think it’s hard sometimes, particularly in that industry. Creative types like Tony don’t like to be told what they can and cannot do, and that’s necessary when you have a finance manager. I hope he can do that, because I think it’s one of the missing pieces for their success.”

Many community members, some with a financial stake and some with an emotional one (and some with both), will be watching to see what the March 9 deadline brings for Baltic Kiss.