Restaurant owner alleges discrimination by member of City-Parish Council
BATON ROUGE - The owner of Boil & Roux restaurant is accusing a member of the parish Council of discrimination and intimidation.
Maurice Walker told WBRZ News 2 that his problems have been ongoing for four years. His business has been cited for violations involving alcohol consumption and zoning concerns.
Walker alleges that Council member Denise Amoroso has been treating his business unfairly, and that it's led to his trouble with the ABC Board, Parish Attorney's Office and the Planning and Zoning Commission.
"It's not just my livelihood and my kids livelihood. It is the employee's who work here," he said. "My bartenders, my hostesses, my servers.
"We've been in business for nine years here. And we've became a staple of Baton Rouge, for this community, for our community. And again, it's troubling for us to have to go through these... now-a-day racism. It's still going on."
Boil & Roux sits in District 8, which is the district Amoroso represents. The Councilwoman earlier this month held a meeting that specifically focused on concerns regarding Boil & Roux.
Attorney Ron Haley represents Boil & Roux, and he believes there's a double standard in how restaurants are being treated.
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"What is different about this establishment, than Chimes right up the street?" he asked. "They have outdoor eating. They have outdoor drinking. What is the difference between this and Walk-On's by LSU's campus?
"It looks similar; same situation. There have not been crimes of violence that have happened here there have not been loitering that is going on out here. Matter of fact, there has not been any criminal activity that anyone has been cited for here."
WBRZ reached out to Amoroso for a response. She replied, via text: "All I want is for them to obey the law. That's all I've ever wanted."