Business owner and the City of Portage battle over giant green teacup

PORTAGE, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A small business and the City of Portage are currently involved in an argument over advertising, and it all centers around a giant teacup.

Store owner Polly Kragt and her husband say they spent about a year making the giant teacup which was to be the center of their advertising blitz, only to be told it's not legal.

As the owner of Chocolatea in Portage, Kragt is accusing the City of Portage of taking the steam out her big new toy.

“It was kind of like the 'Where's Waldo' game,” said Kragt, “all my customers would say, 'Where's the teacup today?'”

The whimsical giant green teacup, looking like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland, was supposed to be the center of an advertising campaign, not a matter of contention between Kragt and the city.

The teacup has its own fan club and Facebook page, 'Save The Giant Green Teacup,' and the store has started its own petition drive.

“I think the way our economic times are, you have to be creative to get the business in,” said Kragt. “Our location on Westnedge is not well traveled and we needed something to pop.”

The City of Portage tells Newschannel 3 that the teacup is considered a sign, and consequently illegal, by the city. A free-standing sign or wall sign would be okay, but the teacup exceeds the square footage allowed and can't be parked out front.

The teacup is considered a sign because the cup is there for people to see and directs them to the business. The teacup can be driven around in the parking lot, because that is private property, but when the cup stops moving, it's illegal again.

“A vehicle has a couple of purposes,” said Kragt, “the sole purpose to be transportation, so we need another purpose for the cup, I said it brings happiness to people.”

Kragt plans to appeal. The cup is not street legal, and some say it can't be pulled around on a trailer for the sole purpose of advertising.