WESTFIELD – The License Commission is slated to consider two petitions submitted by businesses seeking wine and malt licenses tonight, one from a convenience store and the other by an Elm Street restaurant.
Tariq Mahmood, the owner of the Country Store at 397 Little River Road is requesting a license to sell beer and wine for off-premises consumption. Mahmood and his attorney, Paul M. Kalill appeared before the commission at its April 14 session for an information discussion of the license request.
The License Commission will conduct a public hearing tonight on Mahmood’s application to allow the sale of those alcoholic beverages at his variety store.
The owners of the Two Rivers Burrito Restaurant at 36 Elm Street are also seeking a license to sell beer and wine for on-premises consumption.
Joe Wynn, one of the Two Rivers owners, will also appear before the City Council’s License Committee Thursday seeking permission to serve beer and wine to patrons on the sidewalk patio in front of the Elm Street restaurant.
The City Council must grant a waiver from the city ordinance which prohibits possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage on city property, including sidewalks.
The City Council issued a similar license Clemenza’s Restaurant at 91 Elm Street which has several outdoor dining tables in front of its building on the corner of Elm and Thomas streets.
The Board of Public Works, through Superintendent Jim Mulvenna, must also approve the use of municipal sidewalks for the restaurant patio areas.
Westfield Business Improvement Executive Director Maureen Belliveau appeared before the council’s License Committee on March 12 to request the open container wavier for the Elm Street block party associated with the 2nd Annual Run Westfield Flat Fast 5K Road Race slated for May 24.
The BID is organizing the block party that will be held on Elm Street which will be closed to traffic between Franklin and School streets. The event will include entertainment on two stages, near Franklin Street and in front of the former Newberry’s lot.
Belliveau said that seven local restaurants, including both Two Rivers and Clemenza’s, and vendors would be selling food, beer and wine at stands along that section of Elm Street.
The inaugural event last year drew a field of 2,000 runners competing for a $30,000 purse and organizers are hoping to increase the field to 3,500 or more competitors this year.
The date of the race was changed from March to May because of two reasons: the unpredictability of March weather and a race-sponsored fitness expo at Westfield State University. Run Westfield has reserved the Woodard Center athletic facility at WSU after the end of the semester.
