The owner of a downtown Spokane restaurant says it is being forced to close because people loitering nearby drove customers away.

The restaurant called Beignets (ben-yays) opened in July and owner Judie Sowards says dozens of young people who appeared to be homeless have been hanging out across the street, wrecking the atmosphere.

The Spokesman-Review reports ( http://is.gd/2czMjh) the area became a hangout after the Spokane Transit Authority closed its smoking area at the STA Plaza.

Police say they have increased patrols, but behavior that may be considered a nuisance is not illegal.

City Council President Ben Stuckart says the city, transit authority and Downtown Spokane Partnership increased security and began hosing down sidewalks twice a day. He says the restaurant likely closed for reasons other than loitering.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com