Live music permit process creates disharmony for Dos Diablos
SCOTTSDALE – Dos Diablos, one of the Valley's newest and most popular restaurants, is learning first-hand how difficult it is to bring live music to their venue. Located just south of Carefree on Scottsdale Rd., Dos Diablos is tucked away in the belly of the Summit Shopping Center. With a stage built for performers, plenty of parking and no close proximity of any residential area, the owners of Dos Diablos, Patrick Melson and David Stone, thought the acquisition of a live music permit would be a "shoe-in" for the restaurant. They thought wrong. A small legion of HOAs and elderly homeowners are against the live music permit or will approve the permit only if the music ends at 10 p.m. Featuring live music on weekends only, live music ending at 10 p.m. would be a death knell to Dos Diablos' live music crowd.
Unlike the former tenant Mancuso's who featured live music for nine years with no permit, Dos Diablos has followed all of the city guidelines and with their permission, hosted live music while the permit process has been underway. On Friday and Saturday nights, Dos Diablos has enjoyed a robust business, fully staffed, featuring live local bands with dedicated followers who have traveled to north Scottsdale to hear their favorite songs from their favorite bands.
"The fact that we have people voting against our live music permit is truly puzzling to me," said Patrick Melson, owner of Dos Diablos. "Not a single homeowner can hear our live music from their residence; we create much needed revenue for our restaurant, our staff and our bands. We are drawing people from all over the Valley to spend dollars in north Scottsdale creating a win-win situation not only for us but the city of Scottsdale."
To date, all six of the planning commissioners for the city of Scottsdale have approved the permit. However, because of a few recalcitrant HOAs, it is projected that the Scottsdale City Council will vote against the permit.
"There are very few nice places to go to enjoy live music in our area," said Garry Puschak, a nearby homeowner. "It is wonderful not to have to drive into Phoenix to hear our favorite band. The bands are fun, create a wonderful, engaging atmosphere and, most importantly, all of the guests are spending money on food and beverages. Doesn't every city, every business owner need and want those revenue dollars during these challenging economic times?"
The final decision will be made on March 23 at 5 p.m. at Scottsdale City Hall. At that time, Dos Diablos owners Patrick Melson and David Stone, will present hundreds of business owners and residents ballot signatures in favor of the live music permit.
Dos Diablos Mexican Restaurant is located at 32527 N. Scottsdale Rd. in north Scottsdale. For more information visit www.dos-diablos.us.