The waiting game continues for owners of La Diperie ice cream shop in Dollard-Des-Ormeaux (DDO), despite being given a temporary reprieve as council members decide if they can have seating.
The ice cream store has been in a dispute with the city over whether or not customers can sit down in the shop.
READ MORE: DDO mayor visits La Diperie ice cream shop to address seating controversy
A city bylaw states the number of parking spots at a store determines how much seating is available.
“I was hoping we’d get an answer because it is causing a lot of stress, but we understand that there’s a process,” La Diperie co-owner Carla Tabah told Global News.
A final decision on La Diperie’s seating dilemma was supposed to come down Tuesday night, but DDO mayor Ed Janiszewski said it could take a couple of weeks since not all council members were present at the closed-door meeting.
He added the final decision may require a zoning change and the owners could face fines not related to the seating issue.
While the council decides whether to allow seating in the store, the owners are temporarily off the hook for what Janiszewski calls various infractions.
“The fines are for opening without a permit and for making alterations without a permit,” he explained.
Owners of La Diperie said there’s been a serious misunderstanding and insisted they acted in good faith.
They said they never did any work on the ice cream shop that would require a permit.
READ MORE: DDO ice cream shop La Diperie gets cold shoulder from the city
“Win or lose, I’m proud of us for standing up for ourselves and the community,” Tabah said Tuesday.
La Diperie owners hope that the situation is resolved before the summer months – and the ice cream season – ends.