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Waukesha committee approves Joey’s Diner sidewalk cafe; owner vows to secure furniture
Summary
The Waukesha City Ordinance and Licensing Committee unanimously approved a sidewalk cafe permit for Joey’s Diner on March 10; the applicant described security plans and apologized for past conduct while saying he wants to give back to the community.
The Waukesha City Ordinance and Licensing Committee unanimously approved a new sidewalk cafe permit for Joey's Diner at its March 10 meeting.
The sidewalk cafe permit was approved after the committee confirmed engineering concerns about flags had been resolved and the applicant described plans to secure furniture overnight. The applicant, identified in the record as Joey, said he will bring furnishings inside at night and has a nonfixed guardrail that will sit on legs to protect tables.
The committee moved quickly once staff confirmed outstanding engineering flags had been cleared. "It's been resolved," an engineering-related staff exchange noted; the chair then turned to committee members for questions. In response to a question about nightly security, Joey said, "I'm gonna try to bring some of this stuff in. I do have a statue out there that I wanna have." He added he plans a painted Sinclair dinosaur on the sidewalk for children to photograph.
Joey described his personal reasons for the project and apologized for past behavior in the public meeting. "I haven't always been the best... I chase money more than I chase the pride of self respect and dignity," he said, and later: "A lot of [negative things] are probably true. But one thing's for sure... I mean well." The applicant said the outdoor seating is intended to offer breakfast customers an option and to be "an asset to the city." The committee did not dispute those intentions.
A motion to approve the sidewalk cafe permit was made by Alderperson Helvinsleben and seconded by Alderperson Wigderson. Wigderson verbally recorded his vote as "aye" on the record; the committee chair later announced the motion "passes unanimously." The chair and staff reminded Joey the committee's approval will be forwarded to the full City Council next week for final action before he may place furniture on the sidewalk.
After the vote, Joey asked when he could start placing furniture; staff responded that the council would consider the permit next week and that approval there would clear the way for the cafe to open. The committee did not place any additional conditions on the permit during the meeting.
The hearing that produced the applicant's remarks occurred during the invited-application portion of the agenda; committee members then continued with licensing business that included several renewal and extension approvals.
Votes at this meeting were routine and unanimous on licensing items, with the committee noting the sidewalk cafe approval will go to council for final sign-off.
A follow-up to confirm the council meeting date and any city requirements for installing nonfixed guardrails or other fixtures was not specified in the committee record and would be handled by city staff at the Council stage.
