That personal touch, which has set his cafe apart from others, may come to an end if the city's draft for a new ordinance is passed. The ordinance would enable the city to regulate beverage-service businesses, like coffeehouses, under similar guidelines used for restaurants or entertainment establishments.

Because the city lacks such an ordinance, it claims the community's issues with noise, gangs, prostitution, gambling and smoking in some of these locations cannot be properly enforced.

City officials also claim that responses to these nuisances are time-consuming and a drain on the city's general fund.

Some of the proposed changes would include no live music or karaoke, at any time, and any music played indoors through a sound system could not be audible outdoors. No video or audiovisual transmissions—such as televisions—would be permitted, and these establishments would be limited to specific hours of customer operation. The businesses would also be prohibited from delivering food to seated customers.

The city insists that the ordinance isn't in response to any one business or establishment, but Carris believes his business could suffer due to guilt by association.

"If the city's having problems with certain places where there's drugs or prostitution, then solve the problem at the source," Carris said. "Don't try to pass a blanket ordinance. Why should I have to suffer?"

Cara Finn, president of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, said the ordinance proposal may cause problems for some Willow Glen businesses.

"It seems like overkill to make everyone change because a few businesses aren't in compliance," Finn said.

Jeff Mullen, owner of the Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt Company, said his shop already complies with most of what the draft ordinance requires. His store is a popular hangout for families on weekends.

"I've had people ask me if they could have their kids' birthday parties here," he said. "I'd like to but now I don't know."

Carris said that his coffee shop has never had a problem with disruptive customers, but Mullen said he's had to call the police to handle problems with people trying to drink beer on his shop's patio.

Mullen had wondered about adding live music, but Carris is wondering whether he'll need to give up the live entertainment his customers have come to enjoy.

"Not allowing music is incredible," Carris said. "Over-regulating is bad for the community and unfair to businesses."

Yet Jeannie Hamilton, a senior planner with the city's Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, said this draft isn't anything new. She said the department has been working on drafting a new ordinance for two years and has gathered input from the community and business associations.

On July 30, the department invited 250 business owners and community leaders to an informational meeting, but fewer than 40 people showed up.

Hamilton insists that the ordinance is still a draft that could change before it is brought before the planning commission in the fall.

"We're at the point where there may be opportunities to make changes," she said, "but this is an issue that has impacted the community."

She denies that the proposed ordinance is aimed at a particular establishment, but Tony Nuñez, who runs Sugars Coffeebar on East Santa Clara Street, disagrees.

"What I'm learning is that we forced the issue," he said. "I'm doing what I can to compete with Starbucks and now the city's trying to take that away from me."

The controversial Sugars Coffeebar opened in February, with a foosball table, large-screen television sets and scantily clad women who wait on the customers.

"This city prides itself on being diverse," Nunez said, "but now it's trying to shut me down and make all coffee shops the same."