Downtown Lafayette, Louisiana debates alcohol permit for cigar bar

[JohnS]

Downtown Lafayette debates alcohol permit for cigar bar

KLFY Lafayette - Thu, May 21, 2026 at 10:31 AM GMT+10

Downtown Lafayette debates alcohol permit for cigar bar

LAFAYETTE. La. (KLFY) — The future of downtown Lafayette is back in the spotlight following a recent debate over a downtown cigar bar’s request for an alcohol permit, sparking broader conversations about nightlife, noise concerns and the direction of future development in the area.

Kevin Blanchard, CEO of Downtown Lafayette, said the goal is not to eliminate nightlife, but to make sure it can coexist with the growing number of residents living in the area.

“We want good nightlife downtown. There’s no downtown worth its salt that doesn’t have really great places to go get a drink,” Blanchard said. “But what we’ve got to do is have the sort of nightlife that can coexist with people’s lives, with residents, with people who are trying to sleep at night and everything else.”

The discussion comes after a recent conditional use permit request for a downtown cigar bar seeking to sell alcohol was denied by the city’s zoning commission following concerns surrounding noise and compatibility with nearby residents.

Blanchard said Downtown Lafayette’s focus is also shifting toward attracting more residents into the district as new development projects continue.

“Our goal is to attract more residents,” Blanchard said. “The missing piece here in downtown is more options for people to live.”

According to Blanchard, that effort includes making sure downtown feels safe, clean and welcoming for both residents and visitors.

He pointed to ongoing development projects, including a new downtown hotel, along with infrastructure improvements and cleanup efforts aimed at improving the overall atmosphere downtown.

Blanchard said he hopes downtown Lafayette continues to reflect the broader community as it grows.

“I want for them to think that this is a place that reflects them and their values and kind of their community,” Blanchard said. “I think that we do our best as downtown when we remember that we’re a reflection on our community as a whole.”

Downtown Lafayette leaders say the changes are part of a long-term effort to make the area more attractive for residents, tourists and future business development.

Source: https://www.klfy.com/local/lafayette-parish/downtown-lafayette-debates-alcohol-permit-for-cigar-bar/

[JohnS]

Lafayette zoning board says no to downtown cigar bar's request for alcohol permit

by DEAN BOUDREAUX - Contributing writer May 19, 2026

Buchanan Lofts at the corner of Garfield and Buchanan streets downtown. google images 

One of the applicants whose request to open a bar on Jefferson Street was turned down by the Lafayette City Council got turned down for another permit on Monday.

The Lafayette City Zoning Commission voted 5-0 to deny a conditional use permit Monday to allow Ashes II Ashes, 403-B S. Buchanan St., to sell alcohol. The matter now goes to the Lafayette City Council.

Applicant Marlon Haynes, who was part of the group with the Downtown Daiquiri Bar that got voted down by the city council in March, sought to add a small rear bar to the existing lounge — a separation required because smoking is no longer permitted in Louisiana bars.

Two of the building’s upstairs neighbors spoke against the measure, and Kevin Blanchard, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority, warned commissioners of negative results if the permit was approved.

Haynes also operates the Rooftop 116 bar, which has been the source of dozens of 911 calls since 2022. He declined to comment after the meeting.

"We are all watching a slow-motion car crash," Blanchard said. "We are entering a situation where we know there is an existing conflict, we can predict future conflict and we know what the rules say."

The request had gotten support with stipulations from Lafayette Consolidated Government’s planning staff, the Lafayette Police Department and LCG’s Alcohol and Noise Control. Yet commissioner Mark Pritchard noted the board should not treat a permit as an entitlement.

"Certain groups and individuals have worked hard over years and decades to make downtown a vibrant, appealing place to live," he said. "I am hesitant to be too lax in granting permits that could create the kind of slow-motion car wreck Mr. Blanchard described.”

Phillipe Callais, who said he has owned a unit in the building for two years, told the commission he has called police about noise 10 times and they “can’t do anything about it.” Jacques Guilliot, vice president of the Buchanan Lofts HOA, said complaints about Haynes’ cigar bar started on the first night of operation.

One unit, he said, is listed for sale.

"This is something that's going to affect our comfort, our tenants, our investment income and the value of our property," Guilliot said.

Lafayette Consolidated Government’s planning staff recommended commissioners OK the measure with conditions of no one under 21 allowed inside, no external speakers, windows and doors must be closed, no noise audible at 100 feet in any direction and a maximum occupancy of 45.

The owners would have also been required to submit a private security plan and coordinate with the Lafayette Police Department and Alcohol and Noise Control before opening, and an interior door connecting the cigar lounge to the bar was to be closed and locked by midnight.

“I agree with everything,” Haynes told the board.

Haynes also acknowledged has been operating with an active Class A liquor license, issued in November, without obtaining a conditional use permit from LCG. He told commissioners the matter “slipped through the cracks."

According to Sally Leger, manager of Lafayette Consolidated Government's alcohol and noise control division, said it was not the applicants’ fault.

"LCG takes blame for that,” she said. “The business filed their paperwork in accordance with the law."

Source: https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/business/zoning-board-says-no-to-cigar-bars-alcohol-permit-request/article_e350302e-17b3-45a1-9d0a-467ea421d110.html

[Dadof3]

It sounds like this was somewhat personal to the applicant more so than a swipe at cigars. Having been to downtown Lafayette a number of times a well appointed cigar lounge would be about the most opulent thing there. There’s more to this story only hinted at in the articles.