By Jim Sterne
News Editor
After an acrimonious community meeting held at Ald. Schulter's (47) office last Wednesday to address complaints about the drunkenness, litter, and parking caused by some late night patrons of the Celtic Crown at Western and Cullom avenues, owners of the tavern talked with Ald. Schulter. "I've never seen anything like it — I'm used to getting awards at community meetings," said Jim Earley, executive v.p. of A La Carte Entertainment who owns the tavern. The meeting concluded with a promise to have a plan in two weeks. "I asked Ald. Schulter what can we do to stop this?" Earley said.
"You can voluntarily cut your hours - make them the same as other bars in the neighborhood," Schulter said. Two days later, the owners of A La Carte decided to do just that.
Starting today, the Celtic Crown will close at 2 a.m. on weekends and 1 a.m. on weeknights. "I'd start immediately," said Earley last Friday, "But I've got to give my staff time to adjust their schedules and find a place for them at one of the other restaurants." A La Carte owns more that 27 restaurants in the Chicago area, which include such places as the Alumni Club and Excalibur.
The meeting was called because a brawl on Cullom Ave. last week that allegedly involved some off-duty policemen was the last straw for the neighbors. Some of the 54 at the meeting were noticeably hostile to A La Carte representatives. The previous bar did not have the draw that the Celtic Crown has had since it opened four months ago. "We all thought it was a great location and I am usually right within 10 percent," Earley said. "But I was off by almost 40 percent! I kept saying it was the honeymoon effect — there is usually a good first month for a new business — but business here just kept growing."
Earley said that A La Carte put flyers in the neighborhood asking people to call them if there were an problems. People complained about the litter, so Celtic Crown staff was allocated to walking the neighborhood at opening and closing. They picked up bottles and other refuse, even if it did not come from the tavern, according to Earley. "I can tell...many of the bottles were of beverages the Celtic doesn't sell."
Also listed in the agenda for the neighborhood meeting was the timely response to complaints. A next-door neighbor complained about noise coming from Celtic rear door that was near his bedroom. In 24 hours, Celtic replaced the door with a silent shutting door that appeased the neighbor.
"The parking problem should take care of itself, now that we're not closing art 4 a.m.," said Earley. "But if the residents want permit parking they should have it."
"They have to manage their success," said Tom Lambros Bornstein, executive director of the North Center Chamber of commerce. "The previous tenants let the place run down and there wasn't much business for residents to be concerned with. A La Carte bought the building and gutted it and business poured in.
"I also speak as a resident, because my family has lived here for a hundred years," Bornstein said. "Customers from 2 a.m. bars on Lincoln near Cullom avenues walk to the Celtic Crown and it seems like a college beer party.
"A lot is going on here — there are the rights of businesses to do business, and the rights of residents to live peacefully. We all must exercise our duties as well as our rights, or the neighborhood will vote the precinct dry," Bornstein added. "I believe taverns should cut people off earlier. If they are intoxicated, they should not be served."
At the meeting, before the 2 a.m. closing was announced, plans about using the parking lot at Queen of Angels, and at the Laundromat a block south on Western Ave. were considered.
Bornstein does not believe permit parking solves the problem. He believes it creates an adverse business climate and particularly discriminates against small business owners who cannot afford parking spaces. This leaves the door open for the large retailers who tear down existing structures to build large stores with parking, which in turn fosters more automobile use.
"Chicago is not Wilmette, and it will never be. Some new residents do not seem to know what urban living means. I'm not saying we can't learn from the new residents, but the old residents must have a say as well," Bornstein said.
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