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Gazebo Restaurant At 3015 Bagby St.


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  • 1 month later...
4 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

I knew it was a matter of time when their clientele went from white people to black people. When a nice club or bar opens downtown, Midtown, on Washington Ave, almost anywhere inside the loop in majority white neighborhoods, the crowds those places cater to are white people or almost white looking people. Once the place looses its luster with the preferred target audience, then the black crowds are used a temporary lifesaver before the club or bar eventually closes. It's an awful cycle.

 

Ummmm... I really appreciate your contributions, but this paragraph needs to be removed. I'm really shocked that you think nice bars/clubs prefer "white or white-looking" customers and that black customers are the last lifeline for struggling businesses. Just wow.

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5 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

 

 



Yes. Sterling House, 3015 Bagby in Midtown Houston closed.

I knew it was a matter of time when their clientele went from white people to black people. When a nice club or bar opens downtown, Midtown, on Washington Ave, almost anywhere inside the loop in majority white neighborhoods, the crowds those places cater to are white people or almost white looking people. Once the place looses its luster with the preferred target audience, then the black crowds are used a temporary lifesaver before the club or bar eventually closes. It's an awful cycle.
 

 

...I think you need to revisit this train of thought. Come on. By this notion Cle and Proof are going south really quick, as well as a few bars/clubs I've been too in Montrose. Hell we should go downtown to a bunch of bars as well. Your argument is also based on the superficial notion that the clienteles skin color makes or breaks a business. I'm not going to call you names or any bs accusations like that, and I'm going to grant you that this was just simply not thought through all the way. I'm telling you that its not that superficial nor that simple. The data won't add up, and the competition for dollars in all of these markets won't add up. This business failed because it didn't understand the area it was in or themselves, and we can't lay this at the feet of any particular clientele. The customer, whether rich or poor, black or white (they could be pokadot i don't care) chooses whether a business is successful or not with their dollars.

 

EDIT: Basically I'm not here to claim you are either a bigot or racist, because I don't know you as a person, I'm here to tell you that you are lazy. You can do better than this.

Edited by Luminare
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30 minutes ago, phillip_white said:

 

Ummmm... I really appreciate your contributions, but this paragraph needs to be removed. I'm really shocked that you think nice bars/clubs prefer "white or white-looking" customers and that black customers are the last lifeline for struggling businesses. Just wow.

 

Wow, yeah. That was absolutely unacceptable. 

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Oh, ok. I for one completely misunderstood the point you were trying to make. You are absolutely correct that a number of club promoters/owners, particularly in parts of Midtown, Washington, and, previously, Downtown, explicitly want white people and would turn away anyone who didn't meet their skin tone requirements.

 

I do think it's a specific group that behave that way though. I have no idea whether that includes the Sterling House people. 

 

Anyway, I read your post *very* differently than this explanation. Thanks for the in-depth response to everyone.

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41 minutes ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

 



No. I'm not apologizing and I'm not wrong. 

It is a fact in Houston that clubs and bars in the affluent white neighborhoods, Washington Ave, Downtown, Midtown, and wherever else people go these days are targeted to the white crowds. The club owners want white people in their clubs over blacks and maybe, sometimes non-black Latinos, but blacks for sure.

These places institute dress codes that are only applied to blacks as a way of excluding them from entry into the bar or club.  Black people are told the bar or club is at capacity or it's closed for a private event, or anything but the truth as a means of denying entry to them. 

And yes, those kind of clubs in those neighborhoods want white people or people who look close to white in their clubs. I used to hit the club scene hard in the late 90's and 2000's. I have seen this first hand. The clubs on Richmond Ave, were almost all for white people in the late 90's 2000's until the club scene moved downtown. In the early 2000's there the downtown clubs like Cotton Exchange, M-Bar, Suede and others, the crowds were white. Maybe there were a few blacks and Latinos, but it was majority white. When the downtown club scene began dying after the Houston hosted Super Bowl, those clubs turned to the black club promoters to host nights to bring in the crowds, that were majority black to help keep them afloat. Then once the crowds hopped on the new club train, the clubs and bars closed.

I know party promoters who hosted parties that drew in the black crowds in the early and mid 2000's that were big on the website InDmix. All of them had the same stories. They wanted to host parties at the new clubs filled with white people, but were denied. Or they'd tried to go with a group of black people and were denied, but not when they had their black NFL or NBA friend in the group.  All of them also told stories how when those clubs and bars once filled with white people, and most known for discriminating against black people burned out, those clubs and bars turned to the black promoters to help fill their clubs up, all but begging them. The promoters would do it and those places were hotter than when it first opened. 

 

There are other accounts of this from people from back then and even now. Look on Yelp. With the rise in social media, local news picked up stories about this: Kung Fu Bar, Gaslamp now 360 Midtown, Oakmont, St. Genevive that was in West Ave, Roosevelt that was on Washington, and lots of clubs and bars that were on Washington (some still) and in Midtown. Light was being shined on what had been happening for years, like how for decades black people have told their accounts of being mistreated or harmed by police or wrongly accused of something by the police and many times it was dismissed until social media and camera phones came on the scene that proved those kind of stories true.

Both of you may want to turn a blind eye to this, but I have also seen this first hand more than once. I have been out with my black friends and two or maybe all of them weren't allowed in. They were given BS reason when I and my other other non-black friends didn't have any hassle at the door. It's wrong. It happens. It happens in Houston and it happens in other cities in this country. 

Have a black friend who goes out or did when those clubs were open in the early to late 2000's? Know someone who is black and is a party promoter? Ask them about this and they'll back up what I'm saying, what many blacks have experienced, and what black party promoters have dealt with.

 

Interesting how you come across as so passionate in this reply yet in your original response you seem to have resigned yourself to the thought that again a business isn't going to fair as well because it has whites or blacks. Not only is that lazy, but it seems as if you have curled up in the fetus position and just given up. I'm not going to deny that these things do take place nor belittle the true experiences that you have had....but I didn't ask for a pity story nor did I ask for your victim card. I asked if you could back up the silly and superficial argument (with statistical evidence) that businesses fail depending on skin color which is just patently false. Everyone comes across narrow minded people of all stripes and colors at some point in there life and it is your responsibility to stand up for yourself, and not walk away from it. I had the same kind of things happen to me while in Germany where Germans would treat me a certain either positive or negative simply because I was American that I didn't ask for. Particularly when trying to learn the language. People would just assume, oh he is american I'll just start speaking english, and it sucked. I had situations where my Indian, Iranian, and Pakistani friends in school would be denied at clubs because they were different. At the end of the day though, while its easy to interpret things as superficial as skin color to be the reason of things. The bottom line is that deeper than that, people tend to be lazy, and choose to side with what they have always done or always seen, and refuse things that are different for whatever reason. Skin color just happens to be a very immediate reaction that people get. It would be dumb of me in Germany to just blanketly demand Germans (who are the majority there) to accept me an American as a minority. I have to prove that I belong by being forthright and confident and place myself at the table.

 

To the topic at hand, its not because its white vs black but because a business has a more likely of failing if it decides to carter to a majority or minority. You make less money if you cater to a minority group than a majority group (I'm speaking of this quantitatively as in numbers not "political status"). I'm talking exclusively so, and whatever that majority minority is. It would be the same if a business was in a mostly latino majority community yet only catered to white people exclusively. They would be morons for refusing business to the majority. A business should cater to as many people as possible both majority and minority to succeed. If they refuse people due to something as superficial as skin color then that is stupid and a dumb business decision (ignoring the morality case or classical liberal argument for this and simply looking at it from a selfish business perspective).

 

Again. Its not as simple as you portray and simply basing everything in your world view on just your experience alone and nobody else, whether by other physical human beings or literature, will cloud your judgement on this. Its more than you think, and I'm going to call you out on it.

 

Edited by Luminare
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Hmmmmm I Cant speak for all places but this particular place is one I could walk to. I walked to it more than a few times. It seemed fairly diverse customers were there. 

 

IMO I think if if there were bumps for this place it might have more to do with wonky parking situation and price of drinks & food.

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The management was very supportive of Avondale Civi+, hosted a NationalNight Out once provided free food and discounted drinks. I always wanted to help pay that back by going back a few times. But close to this place are at least a half dozen bars that seem lively “neighborhood joints” with cheaper drinks and better food at a cheaper price. This place no matter how well intended didn’t give off that vibe. There seemed to be diversity in clients but never a whole lot of them.

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  • 2 months later...

That response was wildly inappropriate, unprofessional and downright bizarre. 

 

But...

 

Your message was basically telling him he was running his business wrong and that "people are confused." Based on how defensive his response was, there might not actually *be* a good answer to this, but I wonder if you wouldn't have gotten a better reaction phrasing the post differently, like:

 

I'm still a little confused - is Taste essentially the tenant at Sterling House going forward, or is it more like a short-term pop-up? Is the plan to have more than one tenant in the building - something like Taste on the ground floor and a bar on the second floor? Sorry about all the questions. I'm really excited to see this house maintained and turned into a great new asset to the community; I just want to make sure I understand what I'm talking about when I talk it up to people.

 

I think the "people are confused" thing in particular is what stuck out to me. Even if it's true, that takes the conversation away from two guys talking and makes it into something that could be interpreted as much more aggressive or accusatory, especially to someone as incredibly defensive as this guy apparently is.

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  • 2 months later...

place is bumping every weekend, may just have the secret sauce and some staying power. Line 30-40 deep to get in on Sat, Sunday brunch. Living across the street besides the valet and cars have no issue with this place. Just need to find a downtime (during the week) to check out the food!

 

When WF opens up I see a lot of the empty lots around , late night pie and across the street, Bunch CO block ect filling in fast.

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  • 3 years later...

Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen) may be moving from 3015 Bagby. The house sitting on the property is known as the Sterling House.

I think it's moving into Local Foods former ground floor space in the Byrd Building in downtown Houston, 420 Main St. 

Taste is (or was) being sued by its landlord Amir Ansari for a host of things including non-payment of rent, unauthorized construction, and  poor upkeep. Taste owner Don Bowie and staff were locked out briefly earlier this year, according to documents submitted to Harris County court (Bowie is also being sued by investors of Rare, the steakhouse and lounge on Washington Avenue). The documents also disclosed Bowie's plan to relocate Taste.

Documents from the lawsuit detailed conversations between Bowie and Ansari for a possible new concept at 3015 Bagby in place of Taste (this was prior to the lawsuit). Bowie was contemplating a lounge and hookah bar concept with a limited menu of Taste favorites. However, Ansari claims in the suit that he was fielding interest from other prospective tenants. So, I guess we'll find out what's replacing Taste soon.

The lawsuit (and the Rare lawsuit) are definitely eye-opening.

 

Edited by IntheKnowHouston
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  • The title was changed to More Midtown Infill - 3015 Bagby St.
On 6/24/2022 at 7:34 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Taste is (or was) being sued by its landlord Amir Ansari for a host of things including non-payment of rent, unauthorized construction, and  poor upkeep. Taste owner Don Bowie and staff were locked out briefly earlier this year, according to documents submitted to Harris County court (Bowie is also being sued by investors of Rare, the steakhouse and lounge on Washington Avenue). The documents also disclosed Bowie's plan to relocate Taste.

Documents from the lawsuit detailed conversations between Bowie and Ansari for a possible new concept at 3015 Bagby in place of Taste (this was prior to the lawsuit). Bowie was contemplating a lounge and hookah bar concept with a limited menu of Taste favorites. However, Ansari claims in the suit that he was fielding interest from other prospective tenants. So, I guess we'll find out what's replacing Taste soon.

The lawsuit (and the Rare lawsuit) are definitely eye-opening.

 

KTRK / ABC 13 reported on the lawsuit against Don Bowie, chef and owner of Taste, the restaurant located in the Sterling House at 3015 Bagby St. The lawsuit was brought forth by Amir Ansari, nightlife veteran and landlord of the property. 

 

From the article:

"Bowie is also wrapped up in lawsuits with the landlord of his Midtown restaurant, who is trying to evict him for non-payment of rent. Bowie claims he did pay, and there is a dispute over the lease."

 

There are also accounts of the kitchen conditions, resulting in multiple health violations and closures.

 

https://abc13.com/taste-bar-and-kitchen-employees-payment-chef-bowie/12001979/

 

 

Another article goes into a little more details about the lawsuit between Ansari and Bowie:

 

"Amir Ansari said he has been trying to evict the chef since March for non-payment of rent. He attempted to lock out Bowie and the Taste staff, but he was able to regain access."

 

One of the issues is due to an unauthorized addition of a second-story deck, allegedly constructed poorly and has wood rot:

 

"In claims made by the landlord in civil filings, the chef made unauthorized additions to the building, including adding a second-story deck."

 

https://abc13.com/houston-chef-sued-don-bowie-by-partners-missing-money-lawsuit/11991296/

 

Documents from the lawsuit contains photos of the structural damage. There are photos of the kitchen's condition.

Edited by IntheKnowHouston
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  • The title was changed to Sterling House At 3015 Bagby St.

I go down Bagby St. often to get to my neighborhood, I just drove by and Taste Bar and Kitchen is open right now. But I think they are only selling drinks and not food. They usually have a line wrapped around the block and cars parked on every single street nearby but I didn't see that now.

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  • The title was changed to 3015 Bagby St.
  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/24/2022 at 7:34 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen) may be moving from 3015 Bagby. The house sitting on the property is known as the Sterling House.

I think it's moving into Local Foods former ground floor space in the Byrd Building in downtown Houston, 420 Main St. 

Taste is (or was) being sued by its landlord Amir Ansari for a host of things including non-payment of rent, unauthorized construction, and  poor upkeep. Taste owner Don Bowie and staff were locked out briefly earlier this year, according to documents submitted to Harris County court (Bowie is also being sued by investors of Rare, the steakhouse and lounge on Washington Avenue). The documents also disclosed Bowie's plan to relocate Taste.

Documents from the lawsuit detailed conversations between Bowie and Ansari for a possible new concept at 3015 Bagby in place of Taste (this was prior to the lawsuit). Bowie was contemplating a lounge and hookah bar concept with a limited menu of Taste favorites. However, Ansari claims in the suit that he was fielding interest from other prospective tenants. So, I guess we'll find out what's replacing Taste soon.

The lawsuit (and the Rare lawsuit) are definitely eye-opening.



Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen) has closed its Midtown location at 3015 Bagby.

The restaurant announced the closure on Instagram this afternoon:


"Our Bagby location is currently closed until further notice due to renovations..."

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch2lpzbOyea/

 

The Instagram posts directs diners to visit their new location at 420 Main St. Taste's new location is Local Foods former home in the Byrds Building downtown.




Houston Chronicle reported on the closure this afternoon. The article draws the conclusion that Taste was evicted for nonpayment of rent. I don't know if that's entirely accurate since the lawsuit doesn't note Taste being evicted for good.
 

"Taste Bar + Kitchen, 3015 Bagby, announced on Instagram on Monday that it is closed until further notice. Although the social media post said it is closed “due to renovations,” a Harris County court document indicates that owner Don Bowie was evicted by his landlord for nonpayment of rent."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/Several-high-profile-Houston-restaurants-post-17405915.php

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On 8/31/2022 at 11:55 PM, j_cuevas713 said:

I'm just curious to know how confident this owner is opening up right off Main St. 


Confident enough to open not only this location in downtown, but another in Missouri City, multiple cloud kitchen locations in Houston and Atlanta, and a forthcoming dessert shop in Midtown. 🤷‍♀️

Taste's former location in Midtown brought in around a million (or a little more) a month, according to court records from his first lawsuit with former Taste co-owner. So, it's quite the eye-opener that funds are allegedly being mismanaged on Bowie's part.

On a side note, Bowie cleared his Instagram page that was filled with photos of elaborate trips and other extravagances. His Instagram posts were used against him by his former landlord Amir Ansari and business partners in court documents.

I wonder if after the fallout between Bowie and his former landlord, this gives Benjy Levitt (Local Foods) some pause. Levitt owns the building and is leasing the restaurant space to Bowie. From Ansari's account, Bowie wasn't a good tenant.
 

Edited by IntheKnowHouston
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On 8/30/2022 at 10:12 PM, hindesky said:

Eyewitness News cameras captured a sign that reads, "The property was seized for unpaid taxes."

https://abc13.com/taste-restaurant-controversy-chef-don-bowie-houston-midtown-bar-and-kitchen/12181846/

 

19 hours ago, HoustonMidtown said:




Photos of Taste's former Midtown location at 3015 Bagby; from the linked videos


SPZJoV8.jpg


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On 8/30/2022 at 10:12 PM, hindesky said:

Eyewitness News cameras captured a sign that reads, "The property was seized for unpaid taxes."

https://abc13.com/taste-restaurant-controversy-chef-don-bowie-houston-midtown-bar-and-kitchen/12181846/

 

On 9/1/2022 at 6:18 AM, HoustonMidtown said:



The day after Houston Chronicle reported Taste's Midtown location closed due to an eviction (it wasn't when the article was published), the court granted Taste's landlord the go ahead to evict the restaurant.

Hours before the state seized Taste's Midtown location for unpaid taxes and the court gave Bowie's landlord the green light to evict him, staff removed furniture, kitchenware, and other fixtures from the restaurant. The items were taken in the wee hours of the morning - likely unbeknownst to Taste's landlord, the state, and the court. Very shady, I think.

KTRK obtained footage showing the removal of equipment and fixtures:


"A nearby surveillance camera caught a U-Haul pulling up outside of Taste a day before the business was seized. Employees were seen loading furniture and other equipment into the truck for an hour at 1 a.m."

"Later that day, a judge ruled in an eviction suit for the property at 3015 Bagby in favor of the landlord. He claims Bowie has not paid rent all year. As part of the judgment, Bowie has to either file an appeal or leave the property by Sept. 7."

 

The news station also caught the employees unloading the items later in the day at Taste's new downtown location. Taste is relocating to 420 Main Street, taking over Local Foods' former space in the Byrd Building.

Additional video footage shows Taste's former location at 3015 Bagby in disarray. In the video, majority of the furniture is gone along with kitchen equipment and other fixtures. I took a few screenshots from the video.


From the chart in the video linked above:


Taste's taxes owed to Texas Comptroller
 
• April-July 2022 sales tax: $139,700.46 

• May-July 2022 mixed beverage sales tax: $36,397.73 

• May-July 2022 mixed beverage gross receipts tax: $29,645.23 

• Total due as of Tuesday: $206,024.82 

 

Yet, according to Bowie in June, his landlord's lawsuit was dismissed. He shared the following along with a letter from his lawyer on his social media platforms (removed all of his Instagram posts within the last week and a half, but his Facebook posts are still up):


I arrived to court this morning the landlord was not only absent, he fired his legal team, hired two new attorneys, and switched his position to nonsuit. 

non·suit 
verb
(of a judge or court) subject (a plaintiff) to the stoppage of their suit on the grounds of failure to make a legal case or bring sufficient evidence.
"another action where the plaintiff has been nonsuited"
noun
a court-ordered stoppage of a suit on the grounds that the plaintiff has failed to make a legal case or bring sufficient evidence.


Result - Taste Midtown til 2028

Can you Taste it?

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🙄






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xiWGd58.jpg

Edited by IntheKnowHouston
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In a news report yesterday, KTRK spotted rented kitchen equipment being removed. The report seems to suggest the equipment was seized by the state.


"On Friday, the state comptroller's office was at the Taste location alongside a company that picked up 12 pieces of their equipment that was rented by the restaurant. That location was seized Tuesday by the comptroller's office for unpaid taxes."

https://abc13.com/taste-bar-and-kitchen-bagby-unpaid-taxes-houston-restaurant-closed/12191567/


vbrceYs.jpg

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In an Instagram story Sunday, Taste claimed their Bagby location was closed for renovations.

It is not.

Taste and its owner continue to lie to their customers instead of acknowledging their eviction and the location being seized by the state. Instagram comments by Taste fans are... something. A number of commenters wrote that's what's being reported is fiction - this despite the state's record of unpaid taxes, the seizure, and unpaid employees. It's bizarre.


bizUVDU.jpg

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Chef-owner Don Bowie of Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen) recently discussed his legal issues with Fox 26's Isiah Carey.

I think Bowie and Carey have some familiarity with one another that goes back to the early 2000's. Bowie was sort of a club or party promoter, or hosted parties at clubs back then, many of which Carey often attended. I recall seeing Carey hanging out with Bowie, other club promoters, professional athletes, and celebrity guests. So, I'm not surprised Bowie decided to speak out to Carey instead of going to another news station. 

As expected, Bowie doesn't take responsibility for anything. He places blame on everyone else. Regarding Taste's former Midtown location at 3015 Bagby, Bowie claims his landlord hiked up his rent. He also alleges his landlord pressured him for a 10% ownership stake in Taste. Furthermore, Bowie alleges the landlord harassed him, reported him the health department, and caused damages to the property.

In regards to Rare, Bowie makes excuses again. He claims that although he has 30 or 35% ownership in that venture, his only responsibility was the food. The lounge portion was another investor's responsibility. 

Carey asked Bowie about all the other ventures opening while the legal problems are mounting. Bowie claims his Missouri location is a franchise location, but the downtown location opening soon at 420 Main is the only one he's been working on prior to the lawsuits (though, I don't know how accurate that claim is when he disclosed he's expanding to Sugar Land in a Papercity article the spring of 2021). And though Bowie posts job openings and promotes dishes from Creole, a Third Ward area restaurant on OST, it's not his restaurant. He shares he is only a consultant.

It should also be noted that in an Instagram story yesterday, Bowie and Taste posted the Bagby location is closed until further notice. The reality is that location is permanently closed after an eviction and seizure by the state comptroller.

 




MDCJeCc.jpg

 

Edited by IntheKnowHouston
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Riiiiight, the landlord forced Bowie to not pay the State for sales taxes he collected, and made paychecks bounce. What a bleeping loser. I still wonder whether he remitted the taxes withheld from employees paychecks to the IRS. It seems like being perp walked out of his business by IRS criminal investigators would force some reflection on how things are supposed to work.

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On 9/13/2022 at 4:34 AM, HoustonMidtown said:

13 Investigates: Texts show mayor's former aide working on behalf of troubled Midtown restaurant

https://abc13.com/taste-bar-and-kitchen-closed-william-paul-thomas-guilty-to-corruption-unpaid-taxes/12225422/

Wow. The fact Bowie takes no accountability and leaves the place in a state of disrepair is absolutely appalling. And the multiple health code violations make it even worse! Screw this guy and his restaurant. 

Edited by j_cuevas713
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