Just 3 Days After Opening, Wine Bar Forced to Close After Alleged Drunk Driver Crashes Into Building
A wine bar and bistro in Tempe, Arizona, is forced to close only three days after its grand opening when an alleged drunk driver crashes into the building. (Photo: Chic Chef 77/Instagram)
Arizona’s first black-owned wine bar, Chic Chef 77, was forced to close just three days after its grand opening after an alleged drunk driver crashed into its building and drove away.
According to Chic Chef 77, the alleged drunk driver ran straight through the business’ patio and into its wine bar window. The crash took place around 2:25 a.m. on Saturday, 12News reported.
“Needless to say we will be closed for a few days to repair,” the business wrote on Instagram while sharing photos of the incident.
“We’re blessed that there was no casualties.”
12News reported that Tempe police officers were able to find the driver and placed him under arrest over the hit-and-run and allegedly driving under the influence.
“I feel devastated,” Nik Fields, celebrity chef and owner of Chic Chef 77, shared with 12News. “I feel severely impacted financially. This is Super Bowl weekend. We opened two days ago. And this was supposed to be a special time for us to open not to mention it’s Black History Month. So we had jam-packed events for the entire weekend.”
Chic Chef 77 opened its doors on Feb. 8 in the heart of Tempe. Before opening, imbibers could make early reservations in anticipation of enjoying the bar’s wide selection of wine, creative cuisine and lavishly decorated interior.
“I hope this was an eye opener to them to know, not to drive drunk, but also how your actions again impact other people negatively,” Fields told 12News, commenting on the driver.
Chic Chef 77 shared on Instagram that it plans to re-open next week, much to the delight of its growing community of supportive customers.
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