Financial troubles still burdening the owner of downtown Grand Junction's Mesa Theater.

Eric Smith, owner and operator of the Mesa Theater in downtown Grand Junction, has reached out to the community to get help restoring their temporary liquor license and gives himself until Monday (March 9) to come up with the $5,500 the theater needs for a new license, according to a report in the Daily Sentinel.

Smith started a crowdsourcing campaign on Indiegogo.com to help raise the funds they need. Currently, the campaign is at $1,07, which is still a ways off from their goal.

Mesa Theater lost their liquor license in January, from what Smith states as a clerical error, stating on the Indiegogo campaign's page:

We didn't lose it because we were over-serving, or we were negligent.  We didn't lose it because of any kind of trouble, mismanagement, or because we had violations.  We lost our liquor license because of a simple clerical error on the part of the City Clerk's office.

The Indiegogo page states the a certified letter was sent to the Mesa Theater and Lounge, which is the name of the business under the previous owners, and was delivered to the incorrect address. This lead to Smith not receiving the letter until after the court hearing to retain their temporary liquor license.

Smith also told the Daily Sentinel that the court hearing isn't the only reason they are having trouble getting their license back. They also have these outstanding fees:

  • Mesa Theater owes the city of Grand Junction thousands in sales tax.
  • The theater doesn't have the liability insurance needed to obtain a liquor license.
  • Smith failed to disclose information on a past misdemeanor in Garfield County.
  • The lease on the outdoor area in front of the club has been canceled.

The Mesa Theater has been a staple in downtown Grand Junction pulling in some big-name acts that normally wouldn't roll through the area. But, without a liquor license, the theater is having a hard time making a buck and keeping their doors open.

Only time will tell what the future holds for the Mesa Theater.

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