After Operating for Months Without SUP or CO, Plush to Make Its Case Before Plan Commission
Categories: Development
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I see on the City Plan Commission's agenda for tomorrow that downtown ultra-lounge Plush is hoping to get its specific use permit reupped -- and that the CPC, at the moment, is recommending denial. Long story short: Its two-year SUP expired in September of last year and wasn't renewed. Nevertheless, says the agenda, "the applicant has continued to operate the establishment illegally; i.e. without a Specific Use Permit, a valid Certificate of Occupancy or a dance hall license." Code compliance cited the place twice in April for operating without a valid CO; a month later the Dallas Police Department cited it for not having a valid dance-hall license.
At issue, in part, is Plush's insistence that it's not only a club, but also a restaurant -- which is actually how its CO was issued in the first place. But CPC staff says that when inspectors paid the club a visit, "the kitchen was being utilized for storage." Not only that, but ...
By operating an alcoholic beverage establishment at street level, the applicant has not complied with the provisions of PDD No. 619. Given that the applicant has not complied with applicable zoning regulations and standards, staff cannot support this request for a Specific Use Permit. However, if the Commission chooses to recommend approval, staff suggests a condition which clearly states that the alcoholic beverage establishment limited to a bar, lounge or tavern may not operate on the ground floor.Plush was originally before the CPC in July, at which point the commissioners opted to push it to this month's meeting. Says Bryan Foster, the Main Street club's owner, "they gave us 30 days to have the kitchen up and running." And he tells Unfair Park he's done just that: "We served 125 people for lunch on Friday." He says the kitchen wasn't being used because Plush "didn't do a whole lot of business, we lost a lot of money," and so it was shut down till further notice.
But now, he insists, it's all good: "We just got fortunate and relaunched our marketing campaign," which will include food. When asked about his prospects tomorrow, Foster says, "I think we'll be fine."
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