**The parking on Penn Ave in front of The Evergreen Cafe is THE ONLY parking for the business. It is used by the guests, the workers and the owner. Removing this parking will completely destroy a 91 year old small business.*

Unfortunately, what started as light-hearted comic relief from the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge traffic rerouted, has transformed into a politically fueled smear campaign against a small business owner, Pittsburgh staple, father of 4, grandfather of 4 and an all around awesome guy and his bar!

The way a particular group of people have villainized a nearly 70 year-old man for simply parking in front of his business, is how should I put it?…not very Neighborly.  Receiving threats privately and unapologetically publicly online for going to work, has to be the least Pittsburgh thing.

On Friday, February 23th, 2024 the owner of the Evergreen was completely blindsided by the City of Pittsburgh with no hearing, no meeting about the change in parking in front of his business from 10am-2:30pm to a 30 minute loading zone. The city notified him that the parking might be changing a few days prior to the sign change. The city provided no details or explanation, which is completely against the law and process. When the owner asked at the time of the sign change for paperwork, the representatives from the city refused to provide any explanation, stating that “it was not required.” Again, this is absolutely not true. 

The owner of The Evergreen filed a Right To Know claim the next day, requesting the survey to support the city’s findings. A month later, the City of Pittsburgh sent their response. The response was screenshots of email correspondences between city staff members about what to do about the parking. Even more shocking, the screenshot showed emails between city employees asking “what they should say to the press” when asked about the parking. That was it. That was the extent of the so-called “safety survey.”

Since the email from the city of the screenshots, the owner has not been able to reach anyone at the city to discuss the matter further. They refuse to take his call.

A major fact that I would like to point out is Penn Ave goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane about 200 yards from the bar.  Not only does this change in the road contribute to traffic, but drivers have no choice but to merge at The Evergreen or 200 yards beyond the bar. So the drivers that are complaining about having to merch at the bar,  you will still end up merging a couple blocks down the road. 

To clear up some of the on-going lies being spread on the internet:

1. The parking is used by the workers and guests, not just the owner. Yes the owner is there most days because, well, it’s his business. For those of you that are small business owners you know the work never stops. 
2. Food trucks prep their trucks at that location, therefore no parking is affecting several businesses, not just The Evergreen Cafe.
3. No one is ever parked there during rush hour traffic. The parking was used from 10am-2:30pm.  We repeat: No one is ever parked there during rush hour.
4. There is not a parking lot on the side of the bar, there is a parking lot for the business next to the bar. The Evergreen Cafe does not have any other parking.
5. The parking in front of The Evergreen Cafe has been there for 91 years.
6. Something that should be obvious, but clearly needs to be stated for some.  If there isn’t a place for guests of The Evergreen Cafe to park, the business will collapse and a man that grew the business for over 50 years will lose everything. 
7. No one is parking there out of spite. Everyone is parking there out of necessity to do their job, earn a living or visit the business.
8. Yes, the bar is 91 years old. There was a previous owner of the bar before the current owners parents bought it in the 1950’s. The current owner started working there at 14 years old.

We understand that Regent Square was hit the hardest when the Fern Hollow Bridge fell and that their councilwoman wants to stand up for her constituents. Although attacking a small business that has been a neighborhood staple for 91 years through harassment and unethical practices is not the way to better your neighborhood or The City of Pittsburgh.

The owner and most people in Pittsburgh were making light of the situation last summer by leaning into the “Best Jagoff.” When the owner attended the City Paper Party for the “Best of PGH” winners, people were laughing with him, running up to take pictures with him and saying what a good sport he was about the whole thing. We thought it was Pittsburgh humor, yinzers being yinzers, complaining about everything, until some people decided to take it too far.

The owner of the Evergreen is not only an outstanding lifelong resident of Point Breeze, he also volunteered his bar for City of Pittsburgh Marathon as a water station for the last 30 years and allowed a start-up food truck to use his facilities, to help them get off the ground. For decades, he hosted a coffee and donuts for the neighborhood senior citizens on Thursday morning, so they had a social event to look forward to each week.

Like everyone, we are happy to see the growth and expansion of Pittsburgh, especially in the East End, but with growth comes growing pains. For people to blame all of Pittsburgh's poor road infrastructure on the owner of The Evergreen Cafe is wildly unjust. If you are a small business owner in the City of Pittsburgh, you should be terrified right now. 

Pittsburgh should be a city that helps and encourages small businesses, not a place that destroys them! 

Let’s support small businesses, the working class and our legendary Pittsburgh Grit! Sign this petition to reinstate parking on Penn Ave from 10am - 2:30pm and after 7pm.