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06/10/2009
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Staff photo by David Leamingfrom the Kennebec Journal
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The controversial business, destroyed by arson June 3, has been restarted under a tent near the burned-out building.
The waitresses, who are volunteering their time, wore sweatshirts on a rainy Tuesday morning.
"They're getting a little wet out there," said business owner Donald Crabtree. "Anything to get back in business and get the girls working again.
"They have car payments, house payments, kids. They're volunteering their time and they're still getting tips and they're getting checks in the mail from people. One girl got a $10 check from a lady out of state."
Tuesday morning's waitresses were Krista McIntyre and Amy Greenleaf.
In between serving food and drink, the waitresses worked on reclaiming a few rooms of the former motel.
"Hopefully by the end of the week we'll be in three temporary rooms so the staff can go back to being topless," Crabtree said. "We'll still have some waitresses outside fully clothed. There's no charge until we get into a new building."
Crabtree said he did the same thing Monday and will repeat it today. The tent site has been operating from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the same hours the coffee shop did.
The night before the fire, Crabtree met with the Vassalboro Planning Board to begin a proposal to extend hours and to have the topless women dance while a disc jockey plays music.
"People are real supportive right now," Crabtree said. "Some people are showing up, not for coffee or doughnuts, just donating."
The business is running on generator power, he said.
Crabtree said he had considered bringing a double-wide mobile home to his property and setting up business there until he learned he would have to get new business permits.
Under town zoning rules, Crabtree would need to apply for a new permit if he were to put up a trailer in Grand View's parking lot.
"So we went with a tent, and a tent is not a structure," he said.
He said he has plans to rebuild on site, in spite of having no insurance on the building that burned.
On Monday night, 200 voters at a town meeting adopted an ordinance regulating "adult-only" businesses in town, a measure proposed in reaction to Crabtree's business, which has received national attention since opening in February.
Crabtree and six others, including two 4-month-old children, were asleep when the building was set afire early June 3. They were awakened by a passing ambulance crew who saw the smoke.
Crabtree and the others escaped without injury, but most of the building burned.
Crabtree said he is still living on site; however, the others moved into an Augusta apartment on Tuesday.
He said people are welcome to contribute to the rebuilding fund by sending donations to Donald Crabtree, c/o Grand View Topless Coffee Shop, 1494 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro, ME 04989.
Betty Adams -- 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com
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