The Abridged version:
- Torch Club owner Marina Teixeira has publicly criticized the city of Sacramento for regulations she says “make it difficult” to operate downtown.
- Under Sacramento city code, businesses offering live entertainment are subject to specific permitting requirements. Teixeira claimed on social media that frequent visits and fines from the city’s code enforcement department test the ability to stay open. Her post was met with an outpouring of community support.
- A meeting this Friday, coordinated by Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, will bring together code enforcement and Torch Club operators to discuss compliance issues and challenges for the business.
A Sacramento institution that has weathered Prohibition, cultural shifts and multiple relocations now finds itself navigating city code enforcement challenges its owner says threaten its ability to remain open.
The tension came into public view this week when Torch Club owner Marina Teixeira posted her frustration on Facebook, describing the situation as a breaking point for a small, legacy venue trying to comply with rules designed for larger operations.
“Although the city wants to have a vibrant downtown, they make it difficult,” she wrote. “They don’t understand all the things we go through to try to run our small business and it’s exhausting. We are trying to get through all the hoops to continue to provide daily music, contribute to our community and support the artists who play here.”
Security, noise, at issue
According to Mark Mitchell, the manager at the nightclub at 15th and I streets, one of the issues with the city is whether the club had the proper conditions listed in its permits to allow the club’s front window to be open while live music is playing. Another matter of compliance at issue is whether the club filed its security paperwork several weeks late, he said.
Under Sacramento city code, businesses offering live entertainment are subject to specific permitting requirements that include hiring licensed security guards and sound attenuation.
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“The city is currently working with the Torch Club to be in compliance with security guard requirements for their business,” Kelli Trapani, a spokesperson for the city, said in a statement. “It is a city requirement and part of the entertainment permit conditions to have approved security guards in place anytime entertainment is provided for the safety of visitors and staff.”
Sacramento City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, who represents the area, said he had arranged a meeting this Friday between city officials and the owners to “have a fuller discussion about what the issues are and what the remedies can be.”
Torch Club supporters come to its defense
Texeira’s post quickly drew an outpouring of support from the community — dozens of comments from musicians, patrons and longtime Sacramento residents who described the Torch Club as more than a bar, but a cultural anchor.
“You know, this is something that Maraskeshia and I have been talking about quite a bit — the need for a sort of a customer service function within the city,” Pluckebaum said, referring to City Manager Maraskeshia Smith. “Whether it’s an ombudsman or an office of citizen success, other cities are doing this to help small businesses thrive.”
Daryl V. Rowland is a freelance writer in Sacramento.