CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A Chula Vista restaurant owner who spoke out on CBS 8 against the city's plan to end curbside dining said he thinks the city is retaliating against him.
Dr. Gonzalo Quintero, co-owner of Vogue Tavern and president of the Downtown Chula Vista Association, said he received a notice of violation from the city's code enforcement department on June 10, citing violations of not clearing trash or storage from the public right of way and for having signage or advertising on his parklet, which isn't allowed.
The violation date listed was May 28, the same day Quintero did an interview with CBS 8 and it aired on television.
"The day I did the interview on the news is the same day I was inspected by the city," said Quintero.
"I've been in business since 2019. I've had zero violations in that time. I've had outdoor dining since 2020 and had zero violations in that time," he said.
The timing can't be a coincidence he added.
Quintero said restaurant owners like him spent a lot of money on the parklets. He started an online petition to try and keep them. He said he just wants the city to sit down with him for a conversation about them.
The city said owners have until September 2 to take down the parklets.
One of the main issues is parking. Some patio areas can take up about 4 spaces, which the city said can be unfair to other businesses.
On Wednesday a spokesperson sent CBS 8 the following statement:
With the temporary parklets extended through the summer, we must ensure that businesses meet permitting requirements for the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Code enforcement staff inspected the parklets recently and identified violations at four businesses. We notified the businesses this week of the violations and requested that corrections be made in the next 10 days. We are pleased that the Vogue Tavern has already corrected the violations found at their business and look forward to continuing to work closely with our vibrant downtown business community.
According to the notice, Quintero has ten days to bring his parklet into compliance, or he could be forced to take it down before the September deadline. He may face personnel fees for re-inspection.
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