Carmel Belle left hanging as Carmel mulls counter service rules.

A ghost of Carmel’s past is haunting the present for Jay Dolata, co-owner/operator of the popular casual restaurant Carmel Belle.

The ghost is Carmel’s ordinance banning fast-food restaurants, passed in the 1980s. Carmel Belle, with offerings like free-range roasted chicken and house-made mozzarella, hardly classifies as fast food, but it does have counter service.

Carmel Belle was grandfathered in when the fast-food ban was enacted. But three years ago Dolata expanded, and the city told him he may have to comply with regulations and either become a “specialty” restaurant—more like a coffee shop with a limited food selection—or full-service, no longer letting customers place orders at a counter.

Two years ago, City Council suggested adding a third restaurant category allowing counter service, and appointed an ad hoc committee to study the issue. The Planning Commission approved the new restaurant category Dec. 16.

But Planning Commissioner Julie Wendt had second thoughts and asked that the issue come back for reconsideration. At a Feb. 8 meeting, citing a potential “slippery slope,” Wendt asked, “Are we then getting away from the character of Carmel and our old-world character?”

The Planning Commission voted 3-2 against creating the counter-service category, and kicked the matter back to City Council, which is expected to consider the question by March or April.

Dolata says he’s not entirely sure what this means for Carmel Belle; its current permit expires in November. He may have to find some way forward by offering a limited range of foods in one section of the restaurant, and full service in another.