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WILKES-BARRE — Members of city council on Tuesday questioned whether a planned downtown grocery store and cafe would abandon plans to set up shop on Public Square if it didn’t get approval to sell alcohol.
A resolution reviewed during Tuesday’s work session, where council members can air questions regarding agenda items, would authorize CM Cafe S. Main, Inc. to use 10-feet of the city’s right-of-way located in front of the Bicentennial Building at 15 Public Square for a planned outdoor seating area.
Council in May approved the transfer of a liquor license from Fresco Grill & Martini Bar in Dallas to the City of Wilkes-Barre for use at the planned 5,500-square-foot, high-end food market and deli. City Market and Cafe has a chain of 30 locations in the state, including one in Scranton.
While discussing the businesses current status, owner Chris J. Cawley said paperwork to sell alcohol on site was filed Tuesday with the state Liquor Control Board.
Councilwoman Maureen Lavelle asked if the plan would sputter if the LCB denied the cafe’s license.
“That’s correct,” Cawley said. “Not having that would have a significant impact on the business.”
“But you’re not even going to have the business if there’s no LCB approval,” Lavelle responded.
Cawley maintained he was taking that stance unless “we can reorganize the layout in some manner.” Losing the LCB approval, something Cawley believed was unlikely to happen anyway, would force the business to go back to the drawing board in redesigning the cafe’s interior.
After Councilman Bill Barrett asked whether patrons would be outside late into the evening, Cawley said the outdoor seating area would close down “as night starts to come in.”
“That’s not the crowd we’re looking for,” he said.
Based on feedback from the Scranton location, Mayor Tom Leighton said he believed the market would be a hit with the city’s considerable downtown workforce and student population.
“I welcome you,” Leighton said.
If all goes well, Cawley said he expects the business to begin moving in sometime this fall.
Other business
In other business, council reviewed a resolution that would sell a property at 76 Brown St. to the Volunteers of America for one dollar.
The organization will use the property, which was donated to the city, for its Homeward Bound Program. The initiative provides housing for homeless veterans at a reduced rate.
“We’ve done this before. We’ve acquired properties for a dollar and we’ll give it back to a non-profit and let them develop it,” Leighton said.
Council will next meet in public session at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Toyota Sports Plex on Coal Street, the second in a series of meetings held away from City Hall this summer.