The Old "Restaurant or Temple" Question
Friday, May 2, 2008

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Spurred by alleged permit violations, Berkeley officials are investigating a Thai Temple whose possibly-illegal food service has gained a massive following on Yelp and boomed in popularity, much to the chagrin of its neighbors: "For the 208 food enthusiasts who have rated Wat Mongkolratanaram—as the temple is formally known—with four or more stars on the popular user-generated review website Yelp, the place is known as a 'Sunday food fair' and 'a cafeteria-style Thai place' ... Demand has definitely increased, according to testimonies by some Oregon and Russell street neighbors who complained that the 200 or more people who visit the temple for brunch every Sunday block their driveways and climb on their fences, leaving behind paper plates, cups and plastic forks in their backyards." Oh, Yelp. [Berkeley DP]

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