It looked like someone chalked the outline of a dead body on the street in front of Cafe Soeurette on Thursday.
“I did that,” said restaurant owner Jodi Janisse-Kanzenbach. “The area looked like a crime scene and I thought it would fit in.”
There was heavy sarcasm in Janissee-Kanzenbach’s tone. She was actually rather miffed at the yellow ‘crime-scene’ tape that cordoned off the entrance to her building.
“The police were here and city crews,” she said. “They told me they were blocking off my entrance on Main Street and that my customers would have to come in the back door by the river walk.”
Janissee-Kanzenbach put a quick stop to that noise. The kerfuffle was because some of the facade on the building was falling off. Police combed N. Main Street on Thursday morning trying to find people to move their vehicles.
The thought is that moisture in the walls combined with the recent freeze/thaw cycle moved some of the bricks. High winds a couple weeks ago also helped break loose some of the facade.
Building owner Matt Prescott with Madison-based Ascendant Holdings was contacted. He will have crews on site today to fix the problem.
Although concerned Janissee-Kanzenbach just wanted to reassure neighbors that Cafe Soeurette was open for business.
Cafe Soeurette is at 111 N. Main Street in West Bend.