ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The abrupt closure of Chez L’Amour in St. Augustine left couples who paid thousands to book rehearsal dinners at the restaurant scrambling for alternatives for their upcoming weddings.
But another St. Augustine business, Panache Salon & Spa, is rallying the community to come to the rescue.
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According to a GoFundMe organized by Michelle Vijgen, a partner at Panache, a community leader has pledged to match every dollar donated to help the couples, up to $2,500.
That generous donor, Greg Smith, said this is a moment for the St. Augustine community to “rise up together.”
So far, the campaign has raised $1,448 with a goal of $6,000 to help out the couples who lost their rehearsal dinner deposits when Chez L’Amour closed without warning.
One of the couples shared their story with News4JAX.
Chris Mills and Annalisse Colonna are getting married on Nov. 1, and the couple’s rehearsal dinner on Oct. 31 is now in shambles after Chez L’Amour closed.
“Paid everything up front, everything seemed to be good to go,” the couple said.
They said they put down $2,500 and were never notified that the restaurant venue would be closing.
The couple shared with News4JAX an email exchange between Colonna’s mother and Chez L’Amour’s owner, Jeanetta Cebollero.
The owner wrote on June 20: “We are so excited!” and it goes on to say, “We only accept debit/credit cards no ACH transfer.”
Fast forward to last week, Colonna’s mother wrote: “Just wanted to check in and see if there’s anything needed from us.”
“The email bounced back,” the couple said. “I was on Facebook and read some random person’s post that the restaurant has closed down.”
Mills and Colonna said they were shocked by the news.
“For us to find out second-hand, I mean, a little bit crazy,” they said.
From what the St. Johns County couple discovered, they weren’t the only ones in this situation.
Another bride, who did not want to be identified, said she paid $3,000, and also found out about the venue’s closing from just word of mouth.
The bride also told News4JAX the owner said she would give them a discount if they booked the venue by June 24.
“We tried to contact Cebollero several times, and her phone went straight to voicemail. We also tried emailing her, and we haven’t heard back from her or from anybody else at Chez L’Amour,” the anonymous bride said.
News4JAX reached out to the owner and received this response that says in part: “Our attorney has a formal letter going out to any event deposits.” It goes on to say that event holders “...may expect a full refund within 45-60 days.”
News4JAX also visited Chez L’Amour, and from what we could see, it looked pretty empty on the inside and appears to be closed. The owner said that the restaurant had to move because of a failed city building inspection.
News4JAX also reached out to St. Augustine Law Firm, which is representing Cebollero.
They sent a letter, which was distributed to the affected clients.
After further research, News4JAX found Cebollero has a history of event issues.
She was the organizer for both the As If! 90s Fest, which was postponed three times, and the Palatka Blue Crab Festival. Both events ended with vendors frustrated about not receiving refunds.
“We’re getting married in a month here. Not a lot of time to find another venue. You know, it’s possible, but our options are definitely limited,” the couple said. “As brides, we’re left scrambling now to find a new wedding venue, and it’s not cheap.”