Willow Glen's coffee klatches are no different, continuing the caffeine craze with their own neighborhood flair. For Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company owner Chris Carris, this meant bringing in live musical acts and featuring artists inside the shop.

But this unique Willow Glen coffee-shop experience may come to an end if a proposed beverage service business ordinance is approved.

The city is reviewing the option of changing how beverage service business is defined. This definition includes coffee shops, juice bars and smoothie businesses.

Some of the proposed changes that would affect local coffee shops would include no live music or karaoke, at any time, and any music played indoors through a sound system could not be audible outdoors. The businesses would also be prohibited from delivering food to seated customers.

West Valley College director of jazz studies Gus Kambeitz is concerned that this ordinance could negatively impact his monthly "All Ages Jazz Jam!" held at Carris' coffee shop.

Kambeitz feels fortunate to have his jam sessions at the Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company, instead of just holding them in a classroom. He says coffeehouses aren't age-specific and provide a place for high school- or college-aged people to perform in a venue they wouldn't normally get to play in.

"Chris is giving up things to provide jazz to the area," he said. "He is losing money because he thinks it is important for young musicians to have a place to play."

After months of public outreach meetings about the proposed ordinance, planner Pankti Shah said that the planning department is still looking at all the feedback it received and is contemplating the next course of action, as well as exploring additional alternatives based on input from the meetings. She also said no date has been set for the proposed ordinance to be brought before the San Jose Planning Commission.

Some in the community contend that this ordinance has been constructed to combat establishments such as Sugars Coffee Bar in San Jose. At this shop, customers can receive a latte from a scantily clad server.

Although this shop has been controversial from its inception, Carris isn't sure even Sugars is causing the sorts of problems that call for this type of citywide ordinance.

"If you don't like it, then don't go in," Carris says.

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

After attending several community outreach meetings, Carris also says he isn't aware of a single person who has brought forward any of the aforementioned complaints and also hasn't been given any specific examples of illegalities at any coffee establishment in San Jose.

"We've lost so many businesses here and now they want to make it harder?" Carris says. "If they want us to be out of business, just keep tacking on the rules and regulations."

For more information about the proposed ordinance, contact either planner Pankti Shah at 408.277.8568 or senior planner Jeannie Hamilton at 408.277.8556.