I Love Chelseas

While out in the Baton Rouge community (and heck, anywhere, really) and find yourself talking to people about the Chelsea’s situation, here are some things to keep in mind and share:

• We need another category of permit to accommodate this business model because the business model works well and is an asset to Baton Rouge
• Chelsea’s generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenues for the city and state
• Chelsea’s directly employs over 50 people and provides business to several area food, alcohol and restaurant suppliers
• Chelsea’s is operating well within the law and now is being punished for one non-lawyer’s interpretation of governing law
• This state Commissioner is telling the City of Baton Rouge what businesses it can and can’t have and is dictating to a lawfully operating business owner how to run his business
• The city of Baton Rouge has absolutely no complaints with Chelseas and Chelsea’s owner, David Remmeter, is fully compliant with all controlling local ordinances
• The neighboring community surrounding Chelsea’s Cafe haven’t expressed any complaints about Chelsea’s or signaled any interest in rezoning the restaurant as a bar
• David Remmeter does not want to allow smoking in his establishment
• David Remmeter’s principal interest is in keeping his restaurant as-is and providing quality food and drink in a family atmosphere and at a reasonable price
• Chelsea’s has been a great neighbor and has always given a place for artists to hang their paintings, for poets to publicly read their work, for non-profits to hold their meetings and for the community to come together to have fun and listen to live music
• Chelsea’s is one of the last surviving live music and dancing venues in the City of Baton Rouge
• Chelsea’s is doing everything within its power to answer Mr. Painter’s demands and comply with state and local law
• Rather than working with Chelsea’s as a good law abiding business, Painter has portrayed Remmeter as an outlaw and has hit him with severe fines and the most punitive measures at his disposal, yanking his liquor license

***WE NEED YOU TO WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND TO YOUR COUNCILMEMBER AND SENATOR AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE, TO COMMISSIONER PAINTER AND MAYOR HOLDEN AND TO SIMPLY CONTACT EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL YOU CAN THINK OF AND ASK THEM WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP PREVENT THIS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE, TALK WITH COMMISSIONER PAINTER, RE-WRITE THE LAW TO UPDATE THE PERMIT CATEGORIES AND ACCOMMODATE THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS MODEL***

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