Alcohol sales percentage forces Lucy’s to close on Sundays

Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant has started closing on Sundays, after the new downtown establishment saw its food sales fall short of the level needed to stay open seven days a week. Baton Rouge law requires that 60% or more of a restaurant’s revenue must come from food sales in order for it to stay open on Sunday. Despite a Facebook campaign, Lucy’s was unable to hit the 60% target, says Laura Llovet, event and marketing manager. The restaurant shut down for the first time Sunday. “It is a shame,” says Llovet. “We’re trying to develop the downtown area, but the ordinance in East Baton Rouge Parish is not helping us.” Llovet says the problem is that the bar at Lucy’s gets “pretty jam-packed” late Friday and Saturday nights, which skews the numbers. Ironically, restaurant officials say Sundays were the most family-friendly days because of all the downtown activities going on. Lucy’s can apply for a new audit in six months. “We’re still family-friendly, and we still have our restaurant license,” Llovet says. —Timothy Boone