Navigation Patron Accuses St. Petersburg Bar ‘Crafty Squirrel’ of Negligence After Injury
In a dramatic legal turn, a patron of a popular St. Petersburg bar is seeking justice after an evening out turned into a nightmare. Chelsea Starling filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida on April 29, 2025, against JUBES PB&R 33701, Inc., doing business as Crafty Squirrel. The case stems from an incident that occurred on May 21, 2023, when Starling visited the Crafty Squirrel bar and became embroiled in an altercation between other patrons that led to her injury.
According to the complaint, Chelsea Starling was at the Crafty Squirrel located at 259 Central Avenue when a fight broke out among other customers. In her attempt to avoid the confrontation, she sustained an injury to her left foot. The plaintiff accuses the establishment of failing to maintain a safe environment for its patrons by not adequately managing the situation and allowing it to escalate into violence. Starling claims that the defendant breached their duty of care by not taking necessary steps such as preventing or promptly addressing altercations, securing the premises properly, hiring competent security personnel, and warning patrons about potential dangers.
The lawsuit highlights several specific allegations against Crafty Squirrel including failure to prevent or address fights between patrons, inadequate security measures, improper training and supervision of staff and security personnel, and operating under conditions that allowed these failures to occur. These alleged lapses are claimed to have created dangerous conditions which posed foreseeable risks to patrons like Starling. The plaintiff argues that these conditions existed long enough for the defendant to have discovered them through due diligence.
