A restaurant proposal that was rejected twice in the last two months by the Plan Commission was turned down again Tuesday night because it failed to meet the strict guidelines for teen juice bars.
In rejecting the special-use permit for the proposed Bulldog Cafe, commissioners said the unique nature of the proposed restaurant–600 seats and no liquor sales–causes it to be considered a teen cabaret.
“Our attorney has given a preliminary opinion that this will be subject to the teen cabaret ordinance,” said Bob Sullivan, community development director.
The owners, Marc and Joe Borst, have insisted that the restaurant would feature music, dancing, videos and food, would be attractive to all ages and should not be defined as teen-only.
Under the teen cabaret ordinance approved in May, under-21 establishments face bans on smoking, alcoholic beverages and rough dancing. Closing is at midnight on weekends and at 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays.
