North Carolina Man Who Went After Telemarketers Opens ‘The Wrong Number’ Bar
When Omar Khouri’s IT company in Winston-Salem suffered a slowdown during the pandemic, he used his time doing something we’ve all dreamed about: getting even with telemarketers. And it has paid off for him in the form of a new business.
According to Today, Omar Khouri literally spent the pandemic answering annoying telemarketing calls. While he was talking to the callers, he got company info and then sued them. Khouri, whose number is on the ‘Do Not Call’ list, ended up with over $100,000 and decided to start another business.
Omar bought a dive bar in Winston-Salem called Bull’s Tavern and changed the name to…wait for it…The Wrong Number. He says he had always wanted to own a bar or restaurant and jumped at the opportunity when it became available. Khouri plans for The Wrong Number to be a craft cocktail bar where the drinks are named after telemarketing schemes, such as ‘Car Warranty,’ ‘Debt Relief,’ and ‘Student Loans.’
Tipping will be optional at The Wrong Number. Omar grew up in the Middle East, where tipping is not necessarily the norm. Instead, service industry workers earn an actual living wage. That’s what the staff at The Wrong Number can expect and they’re on board with it. Khouri hopes to have his new bar open by the end of October.
By the way, if you’ve had it with telemarketers, too, Khouri says you can get paid too. He says you just have to follow the information on your state’s website about laws regarding telemarketing and be patient. Here’s what I found for North Carolina.