Save La Bella Princess Café: Help Us Rise Again

First and foremost, thank you. I am truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, kind words, and support we have received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Some of you first walked through our doors for a coffee. Others came for a birthday, your daughter in a tiny tiara, twirling across the floor with a princess who knew her name. Over the years, La Bella Princess Café became more than a business. It became the place where hundreds of families made memories: first birthdays, tea parties, the look on a child's face the moment their favorite character walked in just for them.

We built that space with close to a quarter of a million dollars of our own money. Every wall, every detail, every corner was designed so a child could walk in and believe, just for an afternoon, that they were royalty.

Here is what happened:

We filed an application to operate themed parties and a café with light food service. We received an official permit in February 2023 to do exactly that. With that permit in hand, we invested close to a quarter of a million dollars to make this place what it is today. We opened our doors in December 2023 and operated for two and a half years with zero issues, zero complaints, and zero violations.

In May 2026, we received a letter rescinding our valid permit, claiming the former zoning officer did not have the authority to issue it. As an LLC, I cannot represent myself before the board, so I was forced to hire an attorney. That alone cost us over $10,000 just to prepare for the July 9 hearing.

At that hearing, the board ruled that our business does not fall under the amended ordinances updated in March 2026, nor under the original 2020 variance granted for our building. They ordered us to cease operations immediately. Our only option now is to seek a use variance, a process that could cost up to $20,000 in additional fees and take months, all while being closed.

This is all public record. You can watch the full hearing yourself on YouTube by searching "Verona NJ Board of Adjustment Meeting 7.9.26".

Most of what we invested will now go to waste through no fault of our own. We are actively exploring every option available to us, including fighting to remain and continue serving our community. Whatever path forward we choose, one thing is certain: we are not done.

Many of you have asked how you can help. Here are the ways you can help:

1. Book one of our characters. If you are within about 40 minutes of Verona, we can bring the magic directly to you, your home, your venue, a birthday party, a playdate, or any special occasion. A small portion of our business is still here, and we are still working. So please book us: https://www.bellaprincess.com/your-location

2. Buy a ticket to one of our upcoming events. Ritz Walton/Casa de Flora Bar in Bloomfield, NJ, has generously offered their venues to host our ticketed events. Please buy a ticket and come celebrate with us. https://www.bellaprincess.com/events

3. For those near and far who would like to support us financially, we have created this GoFundMe. Anything you would like to contribute will be deeply appreciated as we navigate through this incredibly hard time. Every dollar helps us recoup a portion of what we lost in good faith, cover our legal fees, and fight for our future, wherever that may be.

We are not going away. The crown isn't slipping. And with your help, we will rise again.

With all our love and gratitude,

Martha, Karissa, and the entire Bella Princess family