Save Belli of the Bird!

Mat Keel is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Kristen Guarisco.

Donation protected

My wife Liz and I are neighbors of Kristen Guarisco, a very friendly young entrepreneur based in the Spanishtown neighborhood of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where we also live.

In early 2023, Kristen committed to a promising business venture in a beloved historic location, the former Spanishtown Grocery on Spanishtown Road.

That site has been home to one of the only bodega-style markets in the city for many years.

Kristen named her own venture "Belli of the Bird" after the neighborhood's famous pink flamingos - "it's better to have bad taste than no taste at all" - and brought with her a new and current vision for the space.

Belli is bright, airy, and vested in building community (such as a weekly bingo night for senior citizens). It emphasizes both artful comfort food as well as healthy plant-based options.

Belli opened its doors in the early summer of 2023. The basic business model was similar to the previous owner but after diving into seeking an alcohol permit in September 2023, Kristen was stunned to find out that the building - a market for decades - was residentially zoned.

Unfortunately, and more critically, some older residents of Spanishtown seemed to turn on Kristen inexplicably - even before she opened.

These residents opposed her permit for a license that would allow her to sell wine (as well as any of todays newer IPAs and other microbrews with higher than 5% abv), and later a more restrictive license for just beer.

Their crusade against her licensing seemed to lead these same residents to toy with the business and do everything in their power to complain to authorities about its business conduct.

The following survey of harassment experienced by Kristen is not even comprehensive:

Residents complained to the city permit office claiming that Kristen was opening a yoga studio, before belli even opened. This was not true.
Residents complained to the city about parking issues (already very common in much of the neighborhood).
Residents complained to the city about a very low-key Bingo night as if a casino was being opened.
Many residents supported Kristen's attempt to get a liquor license but many others opposed it vocally.
The local civic association board members apparently voted against supporting her application without ever seeking input from the association's members.
One neighbor repeatedly harassed delivery drivers utilizing a legal pathway to access Belli, and pressured local police officers to erroneously tell these drivers they were not allowed there.
Kristen reports that multiple other baseless complaints were made to the city.

The purpose of this fundraiser is to support Kristen, as neighborhood residents ourselves, in offsetting the losses that resulted from this harassment, until she is able to rezone the location which will allow Belli much greater berth and a path to success.

Please support Kristen if it is within your means. Thank you.