Downtown Owensboro Business Owner Takes Bold Stand to Combat Unruly Crowds

Friday nights in downtown Owensboro are supposed to be fun- a celebration of music, food and community.  But last Friday evening, months of mounting frustrations and concerns led one local business owner to speak up and firmly plant in her feet in the ground. The Creme Coffee House, effective immediately, has announced a major change in their policies.

Here's the post Brooklyn Patterson made on the The Creme's Facebook page late Friday night after major disruptions took place inside the business.

The Creme's Facebook post, at the time of this story, has been shared on social media over 300 times and Brooklyn says she has received considerable support and praise for publicly announcing her decision.

It's interesting. The problems being experienced downtown are relatively new.  Brooklyn actually has some previous history with the Friday After 5 crowds.  She worked at Cold Stone Creamery's downtown Owensboro location back in 2017 and says the young crowd was "annoying, but not issue." Now, however, she says it's a "HUGE" issue with everyone.

Brooklyn has had this discussion with a variety of business owners who have had very similar experiences. She says, "They all say the same thing. That they come in making a huge disturbance and stealing things."

In fact, at The Creme, the problems go beyond that- from "kids" going in the bathroom "to try to smoke weed" to "getting on our roof from climbing the stairs of our Airbnb."

Brooklyn has even witnessed physical violence at The Creme and it involved loved one.  She says, "Last year, one kid assaulted my grandmother while she was holding my 1-year-old son, because she was telling them to leave."

Friday night's altercation was the last straw. She says the behavior of the young crowd has gotten worse and "it's so ridiculous."

Brooklyn joined the WBKR morning show to discuss the ongoing issues and her decision to take matters into her own hands at The Creme.

And here's Brooklyn discussing her decision to take up for her business, staff and customers.

She says, "I feel for the kids, wholeheartedly, and want to give them a place to hangout. But I also want a chill, safe environment for everyone."

With this weekend's announcement, Brooklyn intends to do everything in her power to make sure she gets it.