The Alcoholic Beverage Board of Kosciusko County approved a new alcohol permit for Liefde Café LLC, 105 W. Main St., Syracuse, at its meeting Thursday.
Owner Elizabeth Kennedy appeared before the board to answer any questions. Kennedy said Liefde Café will be a kitchen restaurant with a small bar serving café-style breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Kennedy said there will be a wall separating the bar from the restaurant.
Excise officer April Tackett said the restaurant can either have full separation or limited separation between the bar and the restaurant, either of which goes off the food sales. Tackett said since the restaurant is new, Kennedy would have to project her food figures for two years.
“If you have a six-foot high wall that you cannot see through, you don’t have to do any food figures. I mean, you still have to have food, but there’s no number you have to hit,” Tackett said. “If it’s limited separation – like a half wall, a rail, anything like a Applebee’s where you can see it, that’s when you have to do $250,000 in food.”
Kennedy said she doesn’t see a problem in getting the amount Tackett stated, saying her restaurant would be primarily food over alcohol.
Tackett said the rule states the separation has to be at least 3 feet tall and has to be some sort of barrier. She also said the restaurant can have a 5-foot wide opening between the bar and the restaurant. While the restaurant can have more than one, the openings can’t be any wider than 5 feet.
Kennedy said it would be at least a 3-foot wall.
If, after two years, Kennedy’s restaurant doesn’t hit the food sales figures, she would have to construct the 6-foot wall, Tackett said.
Three permit renewals also were unanimously approved, including: United Oil Corp., 7487 E. Old 30, Pierceton; BPO Elks #802, 310 E. Center St., Warsaw; and Rozella Ford LLC, 1700 Rozella Road, Warsaw.
The board also unanimously voted for Elim Smith to remain board president for 2020.
