The “Venice Karen” saga just took an unexpected turn—with one of the neighborhood’s most iconic joints stepping in to cool tensions after the internet-fueled backlash spiraled.
After “Wanted” posters with Venice Neighborhood Council president David Feige appeared all over Venice for allegedly calling in noise complaints on local bars, Hinano Cafe is now publicly defending him—and condemning some of the extreme reactions from the crowd.
“Let’s set the record straight,” Hinano wrote in a blunt Instagram post on Saturday. The longtime Venice institution said Feige is not an enemy, but a “friend of Hinano Cafe and the businesses of Washington Square.”
The statement pushed back hard on the online narrative that painted the situation as a simple case of rich Hollywood producer versus local culture.
The wanted poster reads: “Who builds a multi-million dollar house right behind Hinano’s (est. 1962) and then calls the police 30 times in one day to complain about the noise? Last seen manically calling 911 from a brand-new mansion.”
Hinano’s post continued, writing “like any neighbors who share a street, we have differences. But we work through them — constantly, honestly, and with mutual respect.”
Feige maintained to The Post the “claims in the poster are complete lies pushed by a few bars that think they’re allowed to disrespect their neighbors.”
He added he has lived in the neighborhood for a long time, and the noise at Hinano “has only been an issue since the outdoor space was created and has also made clear that they don’t support the posters and had nothing to do with it.”
But Hinano drew a clear line when it came to how far the backlash has gone.
“What we don’t do is put each other’s faces on ‘Wanted’ posters,” the bar wrote, slamming the flyers targeting Feige as “reckless and irresponsible.” Hinano said they had nothing to do with the stunt, and condemned it immediately.
Instead, the bar tied to shift the narrative to something far less viral: neighbors actually getting along.
The post featured a photo of Hinano owner Mark Van Gessel alongside restaurateur Manuel Giusti and Feige himself.
“What you see here is the real picture,” the caption read. “Friends, breaking bread, doing the work.” The message underscores a more nuanced reality behind the headlines—one where tensions coexist alongside cooperation.
“Washington Square is a community worth investing in,” the post concluded. “We’re all invested.”
