ORDER-2021-112 : Application of Santa Fe Burrito Grill Melrose, 411-417 Main Street, Melrose for a Common Victualler License

Transcript (~17 min @ 2:28)

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▶ 2:35 Mark Garipay: counselor thomas yes president samella yes yes six yes great public comments closed uh tonight we have two orders before us the first order is number 20 21-112 and it is the application of santa fe burrito grill melrose 411 to 417 main street melrose for a common victual license At this time, I will entertain a motion to suspend the rules so that we can hear from our invited guests.

▶ 3:02 Speaker 3: Motion to suspend the rules. Second.

▶ 3:04 Mark Garipay: A motion to suspend the rules was made by Councilor McNaught, seconded by Councilor Grigoraitis. Ms. Fook, could you please call the roll? Chair Garipay? Yes.

▶ 3:13 Speaker 2: Vice Chair Stewart?

▶ 3:15 Speaker 3: Yes. Councilor McNaught? Yes. Councilor Grigoraitis?

▶ 3:18 Speaker 2: Yes. Councilor Thomas? Vice Chair Stewart?

▶ 3:22 Speaker 1: Yes. Yes.

▶ 3:25 Speaker 3: President Sinella? Yes.

▶ 3:27 Speaker 4: Six yes. Okay.

▶ 3:31 Mark Garipay: Suspension of the rules. Can you bring in any invited guests that are here to speak with this order? Sure.

▶ 3:39 Speaker 1: I'm going to get them in right now.

▶ 3:50 Speaker 2: Can you hear us?

▶ 3:51 Speaker 5: Yes. Good evening, everyone. My name is Carlos Echavarria. I'm the director of operation of San Angel Group. I'm going to speak on behalf of Santa Fe Burrito Grill in Melrose. First of all, we are so happy to finally get into the city. We were looking at different ways to get into the city, different locations and that kind of stuff. I know that we took place of very unique place in the city because it was an emblematic place. Everybody knew Papagenos and those who grew up in Melrose are very familiar with Papagenos. Now, we're taking over that place. The whole idea is to bring a place for the whole community is going to be our concept is going to be a mexican a restaurant with a fast casual service like chipotle or yes sir it should be some people some people are going

▶ 5:09 Mark Garipay: to be raising their hands so we can ask questions i have to put it in order so please just ignore

▶ 5:19 Speaker 5: I can see a couple hands raised. I apologize. Okay. Yes, we are going to have our concept is going to be as casual like Chipotle or Subway that you go and choose your items and make your own. But at the same time, we have this concept in other cities and we have a full liquor license In this case, because we heard that the city is very particular to serve any alcohol over the counter, we decided, because we have the space, we decided to have a full bar. We are going to have a bartender and a server in that area. we are going to have ice cream in a takeout window to deliver ice cream. That's going to be our concept hopefully with the help of the whole city. I know that you will love our product. We never have any complaint in other cities. We work with the community and we want to bring something new into the city for the whole community thank you very much um what i'm

▶ 6:43 Mark Garipay: going to do now is i'm going to open the floor for any counselors who would like to ask some questions and uh right now i saw that i had counselor thomas in the queue was there anyone else that i had

▶ 7:00 Cory Thomas: missed okay counselor thomas thank you thank you very much mr chairman uh mr echeveria um thank Thank you for being here and welcome to Melrose. Can you briefly just talk about the Santa Fe restaurant and how many indoor seats will you have?

▶ 7:15 Speaker 5: Okay, a little bit just about Santa Fe restaurant. I'm going to talk to you some very family oriented. This is not chain event that we are in other cities. This is a family business. Mr. Angel brought this concept from Texas, and he tried to share this concept in just few cities. We are not a change, okay, just to let you know. And secondly, with the layout that we have right now, we are going to have around 98 seats inside.

▶ 7:58 Speaker 5: inside. Remember that the whole idea is to have a casual full service. It means that you go over the counter, you pick up your items, and if you really want to sit down, you're more than welcome to stay, okay? We are not going to have a full service. The only place where we are going to have Service is going to be the bar, you know, because we really want to be sure that whoever gets on. Any alcohol or any beverage is going to is going to present the ID is going to be served right there. You know. In that way, we are going to protect families and in the community.

▶ 8:49 Cory Thomas: Thank you, sir. Will there be seating at the bar or will you order the bar and take you to a table?

▶ 8:56 Speaker 5: They're going to be students on the board just for you. I don't know. Let me see if I can share the plan that I have here. And you're going to have a better idea. Can I share? Let me see.

▶ 9:10 Speaker 1: Let me see if I can let me see if I can give you sharing privileges. 1. 2nd. Okay. Sure. Anyway. Yes, but we are going to have just a couple of seats at the bar.

▶ 9:16 Speaker 5: and to have also the the big area open for everybody. The bar is going to be divided for a couple classes with some decorative glasses in case that nobody wants to

▶ 9:35 Speaker 6: to stay at the bar they are more than welcome to sit

▶ 9:38 Speaker 5: and with their family and that kind of stuff. Our whole idea is not to have like a nightclub, no. It's just that people who go there

▶ 9:48 Speaker 6: enjoy the meal a quick meal get a drink and go in and rest that's the that's the whole idea

▶ 9:58 Cory Thomas: well while we wait uh to see if you can share that or not uh will you have any outdoor seating

▶ 10:07 Speaker 5: at your location here in melrose we are looking forward we you know very well with the pandemic unfortunately we are facing a different reality we had in our plan and we were talking to the owner Mr. and Jimmy, we were talking to him and see if we can apply for the patio, you know, just to be able to extend an outdoor patio that we will use in summertime. Also, thinking it that way, we are going to probably, working with the city and that kind of stuff, be sure that the whole

▶ 10:48 Speaker 5: corner in the whole class that is there and we will take care of that as well you know to have a nice and presentable area for not only for the city but for the business as well. Mr. Echeverria

▶ 10:59 Cory Thomas: thank you so much for being so open and forthcoming. It was a big deal when Papagino's opened up in the 80s in Melrose. A lot of people miss it but you know I'm sure people are really looking forward to to getting inside there and seeing what you've done with the space so welcome to melrose best of luck and i look forward to um taking part in uh eating and dining

▶ 11:21 Speaker 5: down there so thank you thank you for welcoming us into the city counselor stewart i think you're

▶ 11:30 Robb Stewart: uh next in the queue thank you mr chair thank you here for being here mr chavarria i appreciate your your input. So I do want to understand this in a little bit more detail. You're saying that it's self-serve for both the food as well as the alcohol, and that the clients that would attend your place would go to, for example, the bar, pick up their drink, and go back to the table, and they pick their own table and they sit there and they would be able to have their meal and a

▶ 12:11 Speaker 5: drink uh at their leisure no sir it's gonna be only it's gonna be only for the food service they go to pick it up their meal and sit down at the bar we are going to have a bartender in a server who's going to bring the beverage to the table. Once again, we really want to make sure that whoever gets a drink has the age and all the requirements to get a drink.

▶ 12:43 Robb Stewart: So if they're going to do self-serve for their food, do they go to the bar and say, I want a drink then go back and sit down and they bring the or how do they order their drink?

▶ 12:59 Speaker 5: Yes, they're going to take a place and then our server is going to ask them if they would like something else to drink if they have the age. The server is going to be attentive who

▶ 13:19 Robb Stewart: needs a drink in this case. So you will have servers that will be attending to the tables

▶ 13:27 Speaker 5: Yes, from the bar to the to the tables. Yes, sir.

▶ 13:30 Robb Stewart: Okay, so it'll be okay. I get it. So just be waiters and waitresses that are going around asking if people want drinks from time to time, but it's going to be only for for alcohol.

▶ 13:46 Speaker 5: basically because the other sodas and juices and shakes they're going to or they will order those

▶ 14:00 Robb Stewart: on the counter at the service area okay so if i wanted a seltzer water i would go up and order my

▶ 14:07 Speaker 5: seltzer water but yeah in the we are going to have a soda fountain i when you order your food you say okay i i want a soda you go to the soda fountain and you you decide what really you want

▶ 14:24 Robb Stewart: that's no alcohol beverages and how many how many servers will you have working the floor

▶ 14:31 Speaker 5: um at full capacity right now we're and we're thinking according to the plan that we have we are going to have four in the kitchen, four in the serving area, one bartender, that depends on the day and how everything moves, and three servers, two to three servers. That depends on the day. That's the calculation that we have.

▶ 15:00 Robb Stewart: Okay, so that means about 30 people per server at full capacity.

▶ 15:05 Speaker 5: Yes, sir.

▶ 15:11 Robb Stewart: How late will you be staying open to?

▶ 15:14 Speaker 5: The latest, our service normally is from 11 o'clock to 11 p.m. That depends on the liquor license. Sometimes let us extend a little bit because we are going to have a full bar. If we can stay until 12, that's the maximum.

▶ 15:43 Robb Stewart: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Echevar. I have no more questions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

▶ 15:46 Speaker 6: Thank you, sir.

▶ 15:50 Mark Garipay: Are there any more questions from, sorry, Councillor Grigoraitis, sorry about that.

▶ 15:55 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Mr. Echevarria, for being here. Just one question, and I apologize that I had to step away. I may have missed the answer, but what's your anticipated opening date here in Melrose?

▶ 16:07 Speaker 5: My anticipated opening date was two months ago.

▶ 16:12 Speaker 2: Okay, so soon?

▶ 16:16 Speaker 5: I just, as you know, with the COVID and everything, we really have been working in different ways between the city meetings and labor. It really is holding us. We have everything ready to go. It means we are working with the city to get all the inspections and everything. and as soon as we have the chance to finish the work and have everything right and the licenses, we are going to open. Hopefully, hopefully, we hope no later than June 1st. Great. Because we really are moving, you know. No, that's great, and we, I mean, I can only

▶ 17:02 Jen Grigoraitis: imagine how challenging it is to begin a new business in the middle of a pandemic, So, thank you for sticking with it. I think we look forward to welcoming you to Melrose. And at this time, I motion to recommend for passage.

▶ 17:20 Mark Garipay: Thank you 2nd, 2nd, we have a motion to recommend for passage by Councilor seconded by Councilor or President. Could you please call? I'm sorry. So, Stuart, did you have any question?

▶ 17:37 Robb Stewart: I do thank you. Mr. chair. I just under discussion. I wanted to through the chair, express some of my concerns. About this, the fact that this is a full liquor license and the time. That they're going to be open to, I don't think contributes to what we want to try to achieve as a downtown. I think it's, um, you know, if we are having. Potentially 100 people that could sit and it's going to be open till either 11 or midnight. Uh, with a full liquor license, I am not comfortable with that and I just wanted to express my concerns to the council. Mr. chair. So, thank you.

▶ 18:20 Mark Garipay: Thank you Mr. do it just with the liquor licenses will go in front of the liquor commission that already has set guidelines in place. So I'm assuming that that that's in the process. So that is duly noted. And right now we have a motion on the floor to recommend by, I believe it's Councilor Grigoraitis, seconded by Councilor Sinella. Is there anyone else on discussion?

▶ 18:48 Mark Garipay: Seeing no more discussion, Ms. Fook, could you please call the roll? Chair Garipay. Yes.

▶ 18:54 Speaker 2: Councilor, Vice Chair Stewart.

▶ 18:57 Speaker 7: No.

▶ 18:58 Speaker 2: Councilor McNaught.

▶ 19:00 Speaker 3: Yes.

▶ 19:01 Speaker 2: Councilor Grigoraitis. Yes. Councilor Thomas?

▶ 19:06 Speaker 3: Yes, yes.

▶ 19:08 Speaker 1: President Cinella?

▶ 19:09 Speaker 4: Yes, yes.

▶ 19:10 Speaker 2: Five yes.

▶ 19:13 Mark Garipay: Okay, the order is going to be recommended to the full council. Mr. Echavarri, you do not have to attend the next full council meeting. This is, at the time it'll get sent there and we'll vote it as a full council. So.