(The Center Square) – Councilmember Jonathan Bingle held a press conference on Monday, apologizing on behalf of Spokane following the announcement that Zona Blanca, an upscale restaurant, would close after being broken into 20 times.
Celebrity chef Chad White announced the upcoming closure of his Zona Blanca Ceviche Bar last week. In his announcement to Facebook, White cited increasing crime, open-air drug use and property damage as the key factors in his decision to close the location after eight years.
In an interview with The Spokesman-Review, White said his restaurant has been broken into more than 20 times, with two being as recent as this month. Zona Blanca will close officially on Sept. 29.
“To our elected officials, I humbly ask you to recognize the urgency of what’s happening in our downtown,” White wrote on Facebook. “If someone like me, who has been fortunate enough to gain national acclaim and enjoy immense support from this community, is struggling this hard to keep my doors open, I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like for those who don’t have the same privileges.”