City downsizes cafe expansion plans

The owner of a Corydon Village-area cafe says the city has crippled his business by citing vandalism and crime as reasons to deny his renovation plans.

Gennaro Cianflone, owner of Caf 22,said the city'sBoard of Adjustmentmet Wednesday and only approved an expansion for about half the 160 new seats he wanted to add.

He said he can't justify the cost of construction without the extra seats.

Currently, the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission has approved Caf 22 for a maximum capacity of 50 people each in the restaurant and lounge.

Cianflone said in its nine years of operation his popular establishment has a "model record, zero incidents." "Everything lined up and everyone was on side and then the yellow flags go up," said Cianflone. "I don't get it. Bringing everything forward as we did and then being shut down based on fear is just unwarranted."

The planned expansion would more than double the existing capacity of the restaurant and cocktail lounge. Also included in Cianflone's initial plan was the destruction of a duplex to the east of the caf and the addition ofa second floor, which would be used as office space.