Politics & Government

City Proposes Limited Alcohol Sales in Los Rios

The council will discuss allowing businesses in a "commercial core" to serve beer and wine.

Originally posted at 10:13 a.m.

San Juan Capistrano city councilmen will once again tackle Tuesday the issue of whether an eatery in the Los Rios Historic District can serve alcohol.

The matter came up last month, and has been before two city commissions before. While alcohol is not allowed at businesses along Los Rios Street, most of which have their owners living on site as well, two restaurants – the Ramos House Café and the Tea House on Los Rios – are grandfathered in from a brief time when alcohol sales were permitted in the 1990s.

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Which has left the property owner of the Hummingbird House Café crying foul.

Last month, with only three members hearing the matter, the council asked staff to come back with a solution that could allow Hummingbird House to go forward with its plans without turning Los Rios into a bar zone.

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What staff came up with is identifying a “commercial core” in the Los Rios district from which businesses could serve beer and wine, with a two-drink maximum and only during certain hours. The core excludes Hidden House Coffee.

In addition, the Hummingbird House Café may still not qualify for drink service, as the proposed rules also require an owner or restaurant manager to live on the property. Currently, that is not happening, although landlord Monica Mukai is also asking to add on a bathroom to the small “jailhouse” building behind the café.

The council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto in San Juan Capistrano.

Read past articles on the alcohol restrictions in Los Rios here:


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