The City of Philadelphia ordered World Cafe Live to cease operations last week.
The Feb. 11 notice — which instructs WCL to halt all operations by March 11 — was placed by the city’s Department of Revenue. Citing “serious tax violations,” the order revoked WCL’s Commercial Activity License.
The notice was placed outside WCL’s storefront early last Wednesday but removed by the “end of the business day,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. On the morning of Feb. 12, it was taped to the wall in the building's entryway.
“The City pursues license revocation when a business is unregistered, has a delinquent tax balance, and/or unfiled returns,” a Department of Revenue spokesperson wrote in a statement The Daily Pennsylvanian. “The posting of a revocation notice indicates that the business is not tax compliant, and its removal generally indicates that the business has come into compliance.”
The order is the latest in a series of legal and management issues faced by WCL. In June 2025, a dozen WCL workers walked out and were soon fired for protesting an “unacceptable level of hostility and mismanagement” at the hands of then-CEO Joseph Callahan.
Two unions representing WCL workers — IATSE Local 8 and UNITE HERE Local 274 — have filed unfair labor practice charges against the venue.
In July 2025, Penn petitioned a court to eject WCL’s operator, Real Entertainment LLC, from its 3025 Walnut St. location. In a July 3 letter to Callahan and then-WCL president Gar Giles, the University cited WCL’s refusal to pay nearly $1.3 million in rent and other expenses as a “Deliberate Event of Default” under WCL’s lease agreement.
Penn also alleged that WCL management recorded a conversation with then-Penn Senior Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli “without his consent or knowledge” — a felony offense in Pennsylvania.
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In September 2025, J. Sean Diaz — a 1990 College graduate and entertainment lawyer — was appointed WCL’s new president and CEO.
A petition circulated last December demanded Penn commit to “protecting the current employees of World Cafe Live during the transition to a new operator.”
“Throughout this transition, Penn must ensure that current World Cafe Live staff, including those improperly terminated by current management, are retained in comparable positions and at pay rates commensurate with their previous wages or salaries,” the petition read.
WCL has continued to operate during its ongoing legal battles. According to its website, the venue has shows booked through the end of June.
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Jack Guerin leads data and enterprise reporting and can be reached at guerin@thedp.com. At Penn, he studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow him on X @JackGuerin_.
