Chez L’Amour’s closure has set off a dispute between the owner and landlord leaving couples out thousands of dollars.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Brides in Northeast Florida are frantically revising their wedding plans after Chez L’Amour, a well-loved restaurant and event location in St. Augustine, unexpectedly shut down. This closure has ignited a conflict between the venue’s owner and landlord, now leaving couples facing significant financial losses.
Annalisse Colonna and her fiancé are among those impacted. They had scheduled their rehearsal dinner at Chez L’Amour for October 31, having paid $2,500 in advance.
“We were offered a deal if we paid the entire amount within 24 hours after booking,” Colonna explained. “It didn’t raise any red flags for us since we trusted the place from previous dining experiences.”
Colonna learned she would need to make new plans after seeing a shocking post on Facebook.
She continued, “I discovered it had closed through a random online post. I wasn’t given any notice. Just the day before, I tried confirming our plans via email, but the email bounced back.”
Colonna said she later received a letter from the restaurant’s attorney explaining the closure.
The closure letter mentions critical inspection failures related to persistent issues with the building, which the owner asserts existed prior to the restaurant’s opening.
Owner Jeanetta Cebollero said safety concerns left her no choice but to close.
“Imagine if the ceiling had collapsed during someone’s rehearsal dinner—it would have been an entirely different catastrophe,” Cebollero expressed. “It was an unavoidable worst-case scenario.”
She also apologized directly to her customers.
“I am sorry to every bride that put their faith in us,” Cebollero said, adding refunds are their primary concern.”
But the landlord’s attorney disputes her account, alleging the restaurant was a year behind on rent and had been ordered by the court to vacate by Sept. 2.
That same day, the City of St. Augustine’s fire and building inspection departments reviewed the property. According to the city, inspectors noted some maintenance concerns but determined that because the tenant was in the process of moving out, no code enforcement case was opened.
The conflicting accounts now leave brides like Colonna, weeks away from their wedding dates, trying to secure new venues.
“We are talking to a few venues in town this week,” Colonna said. “I feel very fortunate to live in a community where everyone is so supportive.”
Cebollero said updates on refunds and next steps are expected by Friday.
