The Monocle, a restaurant and bar under development just north of downtown Phoenix, features a “Coming Soon” sign at the front of the property. But it has taken no official steps toward getting a liquor license. 

The restaurant would have had a problem with the application: A sex offender originally was listed as a co-owner.

Arizona does not allow felons to receive liquor licenses until five years after their date of conviction. And the man listed as an owner on the document is scheduled to return to court next week, accused of violating terms of his lifetime probation.

Arthur Bachelier, 32, of Phoenix, is currently listed on a corporation registration document as the co-owner of the Monocle LLC at 816 N. Third St.

On the restaurant website, it is described as an “American-fusion full-scale restaurant and bar.” It would take over a historic space that was previously the Roosevelt Tavern, which closed in 2012, in a rapidly growing area near Roosevelt Street.

Bachelier served just over 2½ years in an Arizona prison beginning in November 2013 after pleading guilty to three charges: sexual abuse, child abuse and sexual conduct with a minor. He was released in June 2015.

He is accused of multiple probation violations and is scheduled to appear at the probation revocation arraignment hearing on Tuesday.

Bachelier said the listing of his name on the corporate registration was a “filing error.” A pending amendment filed June 12 to the Arizona Corporation Commission shows a request to remove Bachelier as a member and manager of the Monocle LLC.

It also seeks to name Gerald Lee Logan III, who already is listed as the LLC’s co-owner, to replace Bachelier as corporation manager. It usually takes 15-20 days for a change to go through, according to a Corporation Commission spokeswoman.

“That was an original filing and unfortunately there was an error in the filing,” Bachelier said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “Someone misunderstood how the paperwork was supposed to be filed … We had someone on behalf of us doing all of our paperwork for us.”

He is a chef, not an owner, Bachelier said. He directed all questions about the restaurant’s opening to Logan.

Bachelier said Wednesday that he would not provide Logan’s number to The Republic but said he would tell Logan that a reporter wanted to speak with him.

Logan did not contact The Republic.

Checking out the restaurant

The “Coming Soon” sign prompted The Republic to pursue a story about the Monocle. On May 22, The Republic reached out through the Gmail account listed on the Monocle website, asking to speak to one of the owners about the new establishment and received a response from Bachelier:

“This is Art, from The Monocle. Thanks for reaching out. I read your email and would be happy to talk. If you can let me know how this type of thing could be done best that would be great. Look forward to hearing from you and working with you!”

Subsequent emails to the Gmail address went unanswered.

In the interview, Bachelier insisted he is “just an employee” at the Monocle and will be “cooking the food.” He would not comment on when the restaurant was opening. 

Asked if he was concerned about the public’s trust working day to day at the Monocle, he responded, “Every kitchen probably in the Valley has someone who has a criminal record. I would hope that people would be coming to the place of business for the business itself, not because of … anything that has to do with the person that’s cooking the food.”

A criminal history as a sex offender

According to Maricopa County Superior Court records, Bachelier pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2013, to three felony charges: sexual abuse in 2007, child abuse in 2008 and sexual conduct with a minor in 2010, the plea agreement shows.

The victim reported the crime in 2012. Bachelier was sentenced on Nov. 15, 2013, and admitted to prison on Nov. 19, 2013.

Before his sentencing, several people, including Bachelier’s wife, Cherese, wrote letters asking for leniency for him.

He received lifetime probation and was required to register as a sex offender upon his release from custody.

Bachelier previously was a licensed practical nurse. His license was revoked by the Arizona State Board of Nursing effective June 24, 2014, according to Nursys, a national database for licensure verification.

The discipline report states his license was revoked because of a criminal conviction, failure to meet licensing board reporting requirements and sexual misconduct.

Probation revocation hearing looms

Bachelier is scheduled to appear for a probation revocation arraignment hearing on Tuesday in Maricopa County Superior Court, although he has asked for the hearing to be moved to July.

In the petition to revoke probation, dated May 18, 2017, Bachelier is accused of violating his parole by interfering with his GPS electronic monitoring device on or about May 17, 2017.

Sgt. Jonathan Howard, a Phoenix Police Department spokesman, said Bachelier was arrested during a probation check and accused of “tampering with his ankle monitor.” Bachelier “had removed the ankle monitor and was not with it at the time of contact,” Howard said.

Bachelier also is accused of failing to comply with additional terms of his probation. The allegations:

• He possessed or used an illegal substance or alcohol.
• He did not abide by the GPS program rules.
• He did not obtain prior approval to open electronic technology service or a communication-related service account, such as email, a cellphone account or internet service provider.
• He failed to attend and participate in required sex-offender counseling.

Asked how the hearing would affect the opening of the restaurant, Bachelier said, “That’s entirely separate from me, honestly. I’m just cooking the food.”

No application, no liquor license found

One essential element to open a bar is a liquor license.

However, no application or liquor license of any kind can be found for the Monocle or involving either of the owners originally listed for the Monocle LLC, according to Jeffery Trillo, assistant director of licensing and administration for the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control.

Trillo wrote in an email that the present liquor license that is assigned to 816 N. Third St. is on inactive status and was sold on April 27 to another entity not connected with the address.

Bachelier said a liquor license hasn’t yet been sought for the Monocle because they want to put together a proper liquor program before deciding on which license to apply for, which can be affected by the estimated percentage of food sold.

“Honestly, right now we’re relying heavily on the food that we’re going to be preparing and cooking and things like that, and building a solid liquor program so that way when we’re up and running, we’re going to really have a solid program behind us,” Bachelier said.

Trillo said it typically takes 60 to 105 days from the submission of the liquor license application to processing it. The liquor license department conducts background checks on all applicants, Trillo said, and the felony record would have come to light.

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