The owners of La Baguette, an Ocean Drive restaurant shut down earlier this year for serving alcohol to minors and deceptive business practices, wanted to reopen their sidewalk café but Miami Beach officials this week said “no dice.” In the denial letter, City Manager Jimmy Morales wrote, “[T]he approval and issuance of a sidewalk café permit is conditional at all times.”
Noting the restaurant “has engaged in habitual conduct occurring on the Premises that violated both city and state law,” Morales cited the service of alcohol to minors as well as employees allowing customers to leave the café with open containers of alcohol.
He also noted La Baguette’s prices “were not disclosed or displayed in a manner consistent” with City code. “Furthermore, the City has been made aware of La Baguette’s deceptive and misleading practices by way of numerous complaints, and an astounding number of derogatory online reviews regarding its business operations,” the same language Morales used in denying a renewal of the sidewalk café permit for the Columbus Restaurant at 736 Ocean Drive.
“In reviewing the nature of the complaints and business operations, in connection with the ongoing habitual conduct and activity transpiring on the Premises, the City Manager has determined that such behavior presents an actual threat to the public health, welfare and safety of the residents and visitors of the City. Accordingly, the City Manager finds that La Baguette’s business practices and numerous violations of both city and state law warrant a denial of its application for a sidewalk café permit,” the letter states.
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