Business & Tech

Decision on Whether Cafe Can Pour Drinks Delayed

Residents line up on both sides of the issue. debating whether the Hummingbird House Cafe can serve alcohol.

The City Council postponed a decision on whether the Hummingbird House Café can serve alcohol in a move that leaves the door open.

With only three councilmen sitting at the dais – Roy Byrnes was absent and Mayor John Taylor had to recuse himself because he lives too close to the restaurant – the council voted 2-1 to direct staffers to see if they could come craft a change to city law that would grant Hummingbird House permission to pour the wine and beer without turning the Los Rios Historic District into a bar zone.

Chuck Krolikowski, attorney for property owner Monica Mukai, said his client just wants the same permission – and rules and conditions – given the Ramos House Café and the Tea House on Los Rios, which both serve alcohol. Both restaurants got the greenlight to serve alcohol during a brief time in the late 1990s when it was allowed.

In the 17 years since, there has not been one complaint in all that time, Krolikowski said.

“What this means is the conditions that have been placed on these projects have worked. We’ve had a 17-year trial run and it works,” he said.

Several neighbors and competitors objected, especially because the restaurateur doesn’t live on the property like most business owners in the historic district.

“If they have en event, a wedding, I have to go to a hotel,” said John Humphreys, who lives next door and owns the Ramos House Café. “If I have an event, they don’t care. They don’t’ live there.”

Still, with the right conditions, Councilmen Sam Allevato and Larry Kramer said they could see it work at the Hummingbird House Café too.

“I’m not used to going to a Greek restaurant and not being able to have a beer or wine,” Kramer said, adding that he would prefer to stop alcohol service by 3 or 4 p.m.

City Attorney Hans Van Ligten said the council couldn’t pass a change in the law to all of the Los Rios district and then only apply it to the one restaurant. But, there may be a way to craft a different amendment that would limit the scope.

“The big question is, is this going to spread? That’s the main problem,” Allevato said.

After the hearing, Krolikowski said he couldn’t comment until he sees what staff comes up with.


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