NORTHAMPTON — Two of the four over-quota liquor licenses approved by the state Legislature may soon be in the hands of restaurant owners who applied for them Thursday at the city’s License Commission.
The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission must first sign off on the licenses before the two restaurants, Sierra Grill and Local Burger, can serve hard alcohol.
Sierra Grill owner O’Brian Tomalin told commissioners that he is excited about new developments in the city’s downtown.
“I feel there’s a good influx of new blood here in the restaurant scene that I’m looking forward to,” Tomalin said.
Tomalin asked commissioners if he could hold onto his existing wine and malt liquor license, as he’s exploring the possibility of opening another business. Commissioners told him that he could, but cautioned that he should not wait to take action to avoid the license becoming an unused, or “pocket license,” and therefore running afoul of ABCC regulations.
Jeff Igneri, owner of Local Burger, told commissioners he would use the new license to pour spiked milkshakes and other beverages. The other two over-quota licenses were set aside for Sylvester’s Restaurant and Ibiza Tapas, though their representatives have not yet formally applied for them.
As for Ibiza at 7 Strong Ave., the legislation stipulates that the license be awarded to Rias Baixas LLC, doing business as Ibiza Tapas. New partners at the business, Sébastien Piekutowski and Jonathan Adler, had wanted to open under the name sevenstrong, but Piekutowski said Thursday that plans changed and it will open within the next couple of weeks as Ibiza Tapas.
Piekutowski and Adler had retained Ibiza founder Juan Suarez as a corporate partner, along with Provisions co-owner Benson Hyde.
“It is possible that while jumping through all the hoops we need to keep the name permanently,” Piekutowski told the Gazette of the restaurant’s efforts to keep the all-alcohol license. “All of us simply want to do things without rushing and in the right way.”
Piekutowski, who was before the commission Thursday to apply for a change in management under Ibiza’s existing wine and malt license, said he expects to return in September to apply for the all-alcohol license.
Asked if that application looks likely to be approved, Chairman William Rosen told the Gazette that the License Commission will judge the application when they see it and “any wrinkles we’ll discuss in open hearing.”
Mayor David J. Narkewicz applied for the over-quota licenses after hearing complaints from restaurant owners that they struggled to compete without the ability to serve hard alcohol. While many agree that population-based caps on liquor licenses are antiquated and make them prohibitively expensive, others in the business community are concerned over-quota licenses undermine the financial value of their existing liquor licenses.
Some restaurant owners say they will keep a close eye on how the new liquor licenses impact the city.
Platform owner Jeremiah Micka said if city revenues from meals and sales tax increase because of the new licenses, then he’s all for them.
“Otherwise it’ll just water down everybody’s assets,” he said in a telephone interview. “It’s a model that’s going to be tested.”
During the meeting, commissioners also voted to approve licenses for Glazed Donut Shop, which will open in the former space of Sip Cafe, and Bamboo, a new Asian restaurant coming to 311 Riverside Drive in Bay State.
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.