<\/p>\n
A local restaurateur who says she is accused of violating her lease is now facing a new challenge: A restriction placed on the entertainment she\u2019s allowed to have at her establishment.<\/p>\n
A local restaurateur who says she is accused of violating her lease is now facing a new challenge: A restriction placed on the entertainment she\u2019s allowed to have at her establishment.<\/p>\n
Monique Rose Sneed, owner of the Latin and Cajun fusion restaurant, La\u2019Caj, in Prince George\u2019s County, says live entertainment was a feature that helped draw people to the location, from customers to members of the community who gathered to listen in public spaces neighboring the eatery.<\/p>\n
But events in recent weeks prompted Sneed to start a Change.org petition<\/a>.<\/p>\n She took to Instagram to solicit community support<\/a> for the petition which states, in part, that \u201cLa\u2019Caj Seafood Restaurant at Restaurant Row in Camp Springs is facing efforts that could jeopardize its future despite operating with the appropriate licenses and serving as a positive contributor to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLa\u2019Caj has become more than a restaurant. It has become a destination where families, friends, neighbors, professionals, and visitors come together to enjoy great food, culture, music, and fellowship,\u201d the petition also states.<\/p>\n What started as an issue with her landlord took on another dimension after the police were called to the restaurant and the liquor board was contacted.<\/p>\n \u201cNow it\u2019s become a county problem,\u201d Sneed said.<\/p>\n She was told that the county hadn\u2019t been getting complaints about the restaurant\u2019s patio entertainment. But since they learned about those gripes, La\u2019Caj was told by the Liquor Board that they \u201ccan\u2019t have entertainment on a patio. At all,\u201d Sneed said.<\/p>\n But she tells WTOP complaints were few when they had live entertainment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t every day, this isn\u2019t six times a week, this isn\u2019t for five hours, this is every other Thursday, when weather permits,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Sneed says noting that the two sets the band played equaled two hours on those Thursdays, and that they\u2019ve had live music on the patio for nearly three years.<\/p>\n \u201cTo tell me I can\u2019t play music on an outside patio when I have an entertainment license is taking 60 seats away from my restaurant,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Sneed says her focus now is seeking clarity from the county Liquor Board. She\u2019s \u201cmore concerned about the county being very clear on what their rules are for the entertainment license, which is Rule 75.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not getting [clarity] from the Liquor Board \u2026 a lot of these things are at their discretion, which I understand, but for someone like me, having so much of my business rely on somebody\u2019s discretion is where I\u2019m looking for some help,\u201d Sneed said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not asking for special treatment, I don\u2019t want them to circumvent a rule for me,\u201d Sneed said. But she\u2019s seeking clearness \u201cbecause it does not say in their very own rule what\u2019s being communicated to me.\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been in the county since 2016, providing good brands and businesses to the area. I just kind of think I deserve a conversation,\u201d Sneed said.<\/p>\n WTOP has reached out to Prince George\u2019s County Liquor Board for comment.<\/p>\n Sneed tells WTOP the petition originated after she received a letter from her landlord\u2019s attorney that claimed the eatery violated its lease.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a clause that says you cannot have employees or patrons gathering or loitering \u2026 basically they cannot be gathering outside of your establishment, that you\u2019re responsible for that. And if that happens, that\u2019s a default of the lease, and that\u2019s what they leaned on, saying we had defaulted our lease,\u201d Sneed said.<\/p>\n \u201cI did try to explain that those were not our patrons, they did not patronize La\u2019Caj. That\u2019s how we landed where we are now,\u201d Sneed said.<\/p>\n Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n