WESTFIELD – As the snow piled up outside South Middle School last night, the City of Westfield’s License Commission made a decision inside that will soon be heating up the taste buds of Whip City residents.
In a unanimous decision, the three-member commission granted a liquor license to Harold Tramazzo, owner of The Hangar Pub and Grill in Amherst, for a building he currently has a purchase and sale agreement on, located at 29 School Street.
Long a hub of activity for Amherst’s sizeable student presence and the western Mass. Mecca for fans of hot buffalo chicken wings, The Hangar and it’s owner are looking to drop an expansion franchise at the former home of the School Street Bistro, a move which has excited Westfield residents, students and city denizens alike.
While Tramazzo still needs to apply for entertainment and food licenses in order to install televisions and serve burgers, ribs, and his beloved wings at the restaurant, the approval of the liquor license will now enable him to move forward with converting the three-story building into a similar setup to the Amherst establishment.
Tramazzo stated he has plans to remodel the first floor, creating an area capable of seating 90 patrons that will adjoin the kitchen and take-out area to be called “Wings Over Westfield”.
Tramazzo said that the building’s second floor has the potential to be a “function room”, and said he has no plans for the third floor yet, but that his staff is floating some great ideas around for it.
“(The third floor) has a beautiful kitchen there, and I would hate to waste that,” he said.
Also on hand to speak on Tramazzo’s behalf was his Attorney Stanley Szlachetka, who put in a good word for his client.
“(My client) has been in business for fourteen years, and is well versed in the sale of alcoholic beverages,” said Szlachetka. “I think it’d be a prudent decision for Westfield, bringing new business in… It’s a big building that’s been in operation for years, and he (Tramazzo) will do a fine job.”
Any potential worries the Commission may have had about The Hangar joining the growing number of downtown watering holes were put at ease by Tramazzo himself.
“We’re about 84 percent food,” he said, regarding the percentage of his business dedicated to the sale of alcohol. “I’m not going after that — that’s not who we are.”
He added that all staff at the Amherst establishment are TIP-certified, and the Westfield staff would be, as well.
“It all sounds very straightforward,” said Commission Chairman Christopher Mowatt at the conclusion of the public comment segment of the hearing. “I’m really excited someone is going to get into that building. I saw the plans. It sounds like you’ve got some really neat ideas.”
Following the approval, Tramazzo and Szlachetka stated that they were looking at closing on the 29 School Street location by “the end of January, beginning of February.”
“He’s a quality businessman,” Szlachetka said following the Commission’s decision. “He knows what he’s doing. He serves a good product. It’s a good mix for Westfield, with the University and with a lot of things bubbling in Westfield, I think it’s going to be good all around for everybody.”
With it’s local license now secured, Mowatt and fellow commissioner Ed Diaz said The Hangar’s next step would be to go to the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission in Boston to apply for a state license.
