Landmark cafe in Murfreesboro shuttered by state

Friday, May 25, 2012, Vol. 36, No. 21

MURFREESBORO (AP) - A Murfreesboro restaurant that's been a landmark on the city's public square for more than a century was abruptly closed by the Tennessee Department of Revenue for uncollected taxes.

On Wednesday morning, diners and employees were asked to vacate the City Cafe and a sign was posted on the window saying it had been closed by order of the Tax Enforcement Division.

Owner Scott Perkins told The Daily News Journal (http://on.dnj.com/LctPXs ) that he has been contesting the amount of taxes the state claims he owes since February, but he was not notified that they planned to shut the restaurant down.

A spokesman for the revenue department said he couldn't comment on the case and it was not clear when the restaurant would reopen.