by Mitch Lehman
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens has applied for a license from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control that would allow for sales of hard liquor on the premises, according to Laurie Sowd, the Huntington’s Vice President of Operations.
The City of San Marino has granted a Conditional Use Permit for the license and on November 1, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control – or ABC – notified The Huntington’s neighbors that the institution is in the process of obtaining a full liquor license. The thirty-day posting period ends on December 1.
The City of San Marino made similar notifications when The Huntington applied for the Conditional Use Permit, but nobody showed up at the public hearing, according to Sowd.
“We have no desire to sell Margaritas at lunchtime,” Sowd told The Tribune. “We have had full bars at many of our events, but each time we serve liquor we have to pull a special-event permit and hire professional bartenders to pour the drinks.”
Sowd also said The Huntington was limited in the number of sites within the campus where it was legally allowed to serve liquor. If the license is approved by ABC, The Huntington will no longer face those restrictions.
The Huntington was granted a license to sell beer and wine approximately eight years ago, according to Sowd.
“At the time we got the wine and beer license, the city was not yet giving full liquor licenses,” Sowd said. “Up to that point, every time we served beer and wine we had to pull a special permit. Once we received the beer and wine permit, we needed to obtain a special permit only if we were pouring liquor for events such as the Huntington Ball. This will alloow us to do what we have always done. We will still serve only beer and wine in the cafe during business hours. It doesn’t really change anything, it just simplifies the paperwork.”
If the full liquor license is approved – and Sowd could not predict a date, saying ABC is “backed up right now” – The Huntington could sell or serve liquor at all legal hours without seeking further approvals or making additional notifications.
The license allows for the sale of liquor in a “general eating place and authorizes the sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits for consumption on the licenses premises.: It further “authorizes the sale of beer and wine for consumption off the licenses premises. Must operate and maintain the licensed premises as a bona fide eating place.”
Until six years ago, the City of San Marino did not allow for the sale of liquor. At that time, the city council created an allowance for two liquor licenses – one east of San Marino and one to the west – with the caveat that the bar bill must not exceed a fixed percentage of the total restaurant tab. The City has had no takers on a liquor license, despite efforts to recruit restaurants.
