Bridgeport – Maria's packaged items have cancelled several months of events, including DJ sets, karaoke nights, and open mics.
Serial entrepreneur Ed Marsski — known as the unofficial “Mayor of Bridgeport” — said last week that he didn't request the cover of the event and therefore didn't think he would need to apply for a public location in the city.
However, this month, inspectors from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection slapped an orange halt and assumed order at 960 W. 31st St., Maria of Maria, in an effort to prohibit the event from hosting more than 100 people without a license. That was part of what Marszewski called the “random check” of everyday life.
“I didn't know…no one noticed,” Marzewski said. “There's nothing to worry about. Some random bureaucratic sh –. It's awful, but we like to follow regulations.
Public venues for Maria's entertainment licenses also require city zoning approval. A business spokesperson said they can continue to run an outdoor patio while selling food and liquor.
Marszewski took over the business of his mother's name and climbed classic bars and liquor stores at nightlife and community events. He renovated Maria's renovations around 2016, building an annex and patio, adding indoor spaces and creating Kimsky, a Korean-style fusion restaurant.
Marszewski, who also owns Marz Community Brewing and Local Arts Magazine Lumpen, said that the hits on Maria's event calendars aren't below business, but said “it hurts.”
“Some people have asked F to ask what happened, so they're angry, but what are you going to do,” Marszewski said. “We've been doing this since we opened it. If we knew this rule, [we] I'd applied before, but I'm sure it'll be cool. ”
ald. Nicole Lee (11th) said she was talking to Marsevsky and could “do what she already did” in support of Maria getting a license.
“They were good operators,” Lee said.
Neither Lee nor Marszewski knew roughly how long it would take to get a license.
Marszewski said he would fill out the paperwork and go to city hall if he had to make his case. But he has already defeated the Orange City sticker.
“Maria is a beloved institution,” Marzewski said. “My mother has become the most wonderful little heaven for the community.”
Listen to the Block Club Chicago Podcast:
