Owner of Ohio barbecue joint has to get permit for busty mannequin at his door

Barbecue joint needs permit for busty mannequin

READING, Ohio — A man who runs a suburban Cincinnati barbecue joint says the busty mannequin he put out front has been good for business, but city officials say he needs a permit to keep her there. The Design and Review Board in suburban Reading said under city rules, the figure is considered a sign, requiring a permit.

Restaurateur Kenny Tessel said the 5-foot-10 mannequin, dressed in a bikini top and tight short-shorts, cost him nearly $200 but he quickly made that back from customers.

He already has made one change. He removed a chain that kept the mannequin tethered to a utility pole after police said that was against the sign code.

Tessel had chained the mannequin because he said he didn’t want some “yahoo” tossing her into the back of a pickup truck.

Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, www.enquirer.com