05/03/2025
WE ARE STILL OPEN FOR REGULAR DINNER SERVICE!!
Dear Despacito Friends and Family,
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support of our vision. Being surrounded by such a loving, creative, and passionate community means the world to us.
This past Friday night, our space was abruptly visited by the Burlington Fire Marshal, who entered during a live performance and strongly reprimanded us for having a full band and dancing patrons. We were taken aback, especially since we hold a valid amplified performance license and operate within our approved capacity limits.
Despite this, the Fire Marshal—without taking measurements or reviewing our setup—cut our capacity in half on the spot and threatened further fines. We want to be clear: we were not in violation of any existing codes, and even under the new capacity limits, we remained compliant.
At our meeting with the Fire Martial on Thursday he told us no shows at all stating it “simply was not safe for the type of music we were having”
We did not realize personal feelings and music preference played such a big role in professional decisions.
In the two and a half years we’ve been operating, we have never once had a single complaint, incident, or violation. We take great pride in creating a safe, welcoming space that uplifts the community and operates with integrity.
This decision is not just a blow to our livelihood as a small, family-owned vegan restaurant—it’s a blow to the heart of what Despacito represents.
Despacito is more than a venue. It’s a community hub—a home for music, poetry, martial arts, African band practice, political gatherings, Bat Mitzvahs, and more. We never charge artists. We never take a cut. Everyone is welcome here—every age, every background.
To all the artists and collaborators who’ve brought this space to life: thank you. You made Despacito what it is. YOU ROCK! 🤘🏻
Thank you for standing with us. We are so grateful to be part of this community and we hope to see you for some delicious vegan food soon.
With love and gratitude,
The Despacito Family 💙🇵🇷
