Developer Patrick Carroll allegedly spat in the face of a manager at a trendy restaurant in Miami’s Wynwood, The Real Deal has learned.
A video shared with TRD shows the real estate executive, head of Atlanta-based multifamily developer Carroll Organization, walk up to the manager of the Japanese eatery. Carroll then appears to spit in his face. The incident occurred after the manager, Miguel Angel Weill, prevented Carroll from hitting on a woman at a nearby table, Weill said in an interview.
“This individual embarrassed me in front of my employees and guests,” Weill said. “He was trying to exert power over me.”
A spokesperson for Carroll denied that any saliva flew out of his client’s mouth, but acknowledged Carroll got into a heated argument with Weill. He also accused the manager of attempting to extort Carroll. Carroll is reportedly looking to sell his firm, which owns a 100-property multifamily portfolio across the U.S. worth $7.4 billion, according to Bisnow.
“Patrick showed tremendous restraint,” said the spokesperson, Lewis Goldberg. “He is not happy with his own behavior. But the manager issued what are known as fighting words.”
What went down
The alleged assault on Wednesday evening was captured in a 41-second CCTV clip (without audio) provided to TRD by the restaurant’s owner, Alvaro Perez Miranda. He also shared a nearly minute-long video that shows Carroll earlier in the evening approaching and attempting to have a conversation with the woman, who was having dinner with a man. The alleged spit takes place at the 50 second mark of the combined video.
Miranda, who owns two other restaurants in Miami, requested that TRD not disclose the name of his establishment, and said Carroll is not welcome back. “I don’t tolerate violence or disrespect to any of my employees and guests,” Miranda said. “He is banned from any of my restaurants.”
In the video from earlier in the evening, Carroll, dressed in a white t-shirt and dark jeans, gets up from a table where he is dining with friends and begins walking over to the other table, where the woman is seated. Weill, wearing a dark suit, comes out of the kitchen and stops Carroll, exchanging a few words with him.
Carroll touches Weill’s arm, and the manager walks away. Carroll then turns his attention back to the woman’s table, and they shake hands. He engages in a brief conversation with her, and then shakes the hand of her male companion. Weill pours water for the two guests and stays close by. Carroll then walks back to his dinner party.
In the second clip, Carroll walks over to Weill and appears to make an attempt to shake the manager’s hand. The video then shows Caroll pulling back, and lunging his head at Weill. The manager flinches, but doesn’t say anything to Carroll.
The woman and the man at the table are visibly shocked by Carroll’s behavior. Carroll then is seen saying something to the couple, and starts walking out of the restaurant. While typing on his cellphone, Weill follows Carroll out. The manager is not seen engaging in any physical contact.
Carroll’s version
Carroll Organization spokesperson Goldberg said his client merely “pantomimed” spitting at Weill, “but didn’t actually do it.” Goldberg alleged that Weill instigated the confrontation from the moment Carroll walked into the restaurant.
“The manager told him, ‘I know who you are. I want you to hit me so I can get paid,’” Goldberg claims. “Patrick acknowledged that and moved on to have dinner with his friends. He spent a tremendous amount of money at the restaurant.”
Later in the evening, Weill “laid hands” on Carroll, Goldberg alleges. When asked why Carroll didn’t leave the restaurant if Weill allegedly threatened to extort him, Goldberg said: “Patrick is the bigger man both literally and figuratively. He wanted to end the night there to enjoy it with his friends and his attorney.”
According to Weill, however, he intervened after Carroll persisted in his pursuit of the female diner.
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“First, he went up to the table and started talking to the girl like the guy she was with wasn’t there,” Weill said. “After that, he got up to go to the bathroom when she went to the bathroom. He stopped her as she is coming out so I told him that I would appreciate it if he could respect other guests’ space.”
It got worse from there as Carroll allegedly loudly complained to his dinner party that Weill was “the guy who told me not to talk to her,” Weill said.
“He said, ‘I don’t need to respect anybody,’ and that ‘I don’t give a fuck if you keep serving me,’” Weill recalled. “So I canceled the desserts and gave him his check. He was super mad that I wasn’t bowing down for him.”
When Carroll got up to leave and hand back the signed receipt, the developer extended his hand as if to make peace, Weill said. “The moment I extend my hand, he pulls his hand away and spits in my face,” Weill said. “He starts cursing at me and insulting me. Then he looks at the girl and is also sizing up the guy she was with.”
Goldberg said he did not have an answer as to why Carroll attempted to talk to the woman in question. “I will talk to Patrick, but he is not going to respond to that,” Goldberg said. “It is a level of salaciousness that is not worthy of The Real Deal.”
Carroll regrets the incident, Goldberg added. “It is not unusual for him to get recognized,” Goldberg said. “It is unusual for him to get accosted and threatened. As a public figure, he knows better.”
This is not the first time Carroll has attracted controversy, however. In August, Page Six reported that he was ejected from a party in Capri following a brawl.
Flowers and a note
On Thursday, Weill received flowers and a note on black paper with a message written in gold leaf ink.
“Dearest Miguel, Words cannot describe my condolences for my behavior,” the note reads. “It was out of line and out of my character. I hope you understand what I said, I did not mean. You didn’t deserve that treatment. Respectfully, Pat Carroll.”
The note, shared with TRD, demonstrates that Carroll is a bigger man than Weil, Goldberg said.
Weill denied Goldberg’s accusations, and said he only responded to Carroll’s threats to beat him up: “I told him, ‘You can feel free to do what you want. At the end of the day, I’m going to come out winning because you have more to lose than I do,’” Weill recalled.
“I don’t care about his apology,” Weill added. “He knew what he was doing was completely wrong and unacceptable.”