St. Maarten Café sign stolen
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Loyal St. Maarten's customers stand in front of the stolen sign during a vigil after its January closing. The restaurant is scheduled to open next week.Dave McNair
Just a week before the planned re-opening of St. Maarten Café on the Corner, which closed abruptly at the end of January after 26 years, more trouble has struck. On the night of March 5, the massive 200-pound, hand-made sign that has been hanging outside since 1985 was stolen.
"It makes me want to cry," says Nicole Hamilton, fighting back tears. "I'm freaking out I'm so upset."
Hamilton, along with her husband Russ and several local investors, were planning to re-open the popular Corner restaurant, but when they arrived that morning they noticed the sign was missing
"We're just looking to have it safely returned," says Hamilton. "And we won't press charges."
If you have any information about the sign, call Crime Stoppers at 977-4000 or fill out an online incident report.
–->Update: Look what happened next.
15 comments
That is so messed up. It would have taken at least a couple of people to lift it off the wall. If this act was committed by UVa students it would be a violation of the honor code. Give the people back their sign you lowlifes.
And we ALL know how UVA handles honor code violations....... Heck, they let you graduate law school!!!
I must go back to Hook archives and count the ad space bought by the St. Maarten. This place is like "Cheers" with pretension on steroids.
"And we won't press charges" says it all for Chville; I Nicole is kidding.
BTW, I love her reference to the first real rock concept album: "Freak Out" by The Mothers of Invention
R.I.P.: Scatman Crothers
Why in the heck does everyone immediately assume students? Says more about you than it does students, honestly.
It may have been a U.Va. student or students. Or it may have been, you know, anyone else. Given that it's spring break there are a great many fewer students in town to have stolen the sign.
Is this the best picture you guys could come up with? man! FAIL :)
Somebody is staring at it now thinking "what am I going to do with this thing?" It'll be back by Monday.
Good call, ? Put up a more detailed photo
I'm sure its a harmless fraternity prank.
There's a better picture of the purloined sign on Yelp! http://s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/pBFSuoEJ5aSjJCyxsDLVbw/l.jpg
UVA students are on spring break. I doubt it was one of us.
For Spring Break, there are a lot of students in town. Any takers for a Mitt Romney bet? Does $10,000 dollars sound familiar?
So, just what did the Men's LaCrosse team do with the sign? Could be a safe bet!
I can't wait for the grand conspiracy theory that links the sign theft to George Huguely, a certain Pantera shirt, Edgar Allan Poe, black helicopters, a local secret society or two and maybe even some aliens, muslim terrorists, or CIA mind control experiments to spice things up a bit. No telling what goes on in a place with no windows after all. What were they hiding in there? In fact, I think the poster above knows more than he's saying.
I bet it's one of the blowhard peanuts saying how "alcohol culture" killed Yeardley rather than you know George. I mean St. Maarten contributes to the culture right?
Hang a "TJ's" sign. That joint was a lot more fun when it was known as TJ's 30 years ago.
Now? Overpriced coconut shrimp and Journey oldies.
Yeesh.
The society returned the sign already.