The City of Santa Barbara has filed a criminal misdemeanor complaint against the owner and the general manager of the Chase restaurant for allegedly violating the city’s emergency outdoor dining order. The Chase, located on the 1100 block of State Street, faces 11 misdemeanor counts, with the city alleging the restaurant has continued to encroach on the sidewalks with customer seating, tables, heaters, and lighting.
In June of this year, the Santa Barbara City Council voted to clear the sidewalks of any kind of outdoor dining that was not permitted before the COVID-19 pandemic. The council’s decision was made with the intent of creating safer walkways for pedestrians and people with disabilities. Businesses would be allowed to apply for an outdoor dining permit, but would only be approved following an inspection of the property, and assurance that the ADA required eight feet of sidewalk was accessible.
Warren Butler, general manager of the Chase, is named in the case as well as owner Jackie Mathis. Butler told the Independent that he believes the council made this decision with all good intentions, but did not consider how this would impact businesses that have struggled to regain customers since the pandemic. “We’re still going through COVID, so we wanted to make a safe environment that is still entertaining for guests,” Butler said.