Sno-Cones A No-Go At Lauren
Rugby had no treats in store over the weekend
(7/10/2008) It may be okay to give away cider and cookies at Christmastime or lollipops at Halloween, but East Hampton Village draws the line at Sno-Cones.
The new Ralph Lauren Rugby store on East Hampton’s Main Street had hoped to serve free Sno-Cones to shoppers over the Fourth of July weekend, but village officials iced the plan last week. The decision prompted the chamber of commerce to warn its members to think twice before they considered serving food of any kind.
“Check with East Hampton Village first,” the chamber’s director, Marina Van, wrote in an e-mail to members. “I am sure you don’t want to be cited for serving a donut.”
“We have a lot of shops that have great ideas such as Sno-Cones and singing in the shops and things,” Ms. Van said Tuesday. “They have wonderful ideas to promote their business and promote the town.” But not all of those ideas comply with village code or village policy.
The Sno-Cone request “represents 1/10th of 1 percent of the questions we get asked over the season,” said Larry Cantwell, the village administrator. Businesses seek permission to do everything from promoting their products at Main Beach to hosting parties in stores.
The village code prohibits the sale of food in retail shops. While the village is okay with stores passing out certain holiday treats, “if you have to bring equipment into the store to process food, that’s where we draw the line,” Mr. Cantwell said.
Ms. Van said chamber members will sit down with the Mr. Cantwell and village code enforcement officials after the season to discuss the issue.
“We have some wonderful newcomers,” she said. “This little Ralph Lauren group of people is very full of spirit.” She said Tiffany & Co., which had an a cappella group in the store over the weekend, asked if the singers could also go out on the street to perform. “The answer was no.” But if caroling on the streets is acceptable at Christmas, why not patriotic songs on Independence Day, she wondered.
She hopes the village might be willing to budge a little, and the post-season meeting will also help merchants understand “what the village is trying to do,” she said. “This is a new thing for all of us.”