Save the chairs at Scooter’s!!

Reason #157 why I love Roscoe Villiage: The great local businesses and the loyal neighborhood patrons that love them.

Case-in-point: Scooter’s Frozen Custard. This delightful custard shop not only has the best frozen custard around (which my mother, a custard connoisseur from a very young age, can attest to), but it’s also a true gem of a business that brings joy to the whole neighborhood. Among it’s most charming attributes, Scooter’s keeps chairs and dog water bowls out on the sidewalk in front of the shop. They also give away free “doggie cones.” The result  of this hospitality is the nightly gathering of a custard-eating congregation, where neighbors enjoy each other’s company, dogs enjoy their treats, and everyone enjoys the warm weather and cold custard.

Or so I thought. Turns out, our alderman has threatened poor Scooter’s with a cease and desist order, and has even warned against letting customers bring their own chairs. According to Scooter’s Web site, the former 32nd ward alderman encouraged the chair party, and it’s been a summer tradition for six years.

Seriously?? I realize it’s your job to respond to your constituent’s complaints (although I can’t imagine who would complain about a mellow and innocent gathering in front of a custard shop), but in this turbulent economy, shouldn’t the local government be doing everything it can to support our local businesses, rather than hindering them? What’s more, enjoying a cone and the company of friends at Scooters is the kind of simple and inexpensive pleasure that helps to take our minds of the financial problems we may face, if only for a few minutes. To help Scooter’s get their chairs back, join the cause on Facebook.