By Emily Wang, White River Now
On April 22, the Southside City Council approved an ordinance enabling Las Playitas and Grill, a new restaurant located at 1600 Batesville Blvd., to apply for a private club liquor license.
The decision follows a recommendation from the city’s Planning Commission, which held a special meeting to clarify the application’s details.
Under state law, a restaurant must complete several steps before serving alcohol, including applying through the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC), posting public notices, and placing advertisements in newspapers.
Arturo Jiminez, a representative of Las Playitas, discussed the timeline for approval by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
“This month might be too late, but if we get everything submitted before their May meeting, we would have another three months,” Jiminez said.
Predicting the ability to serve alcohol in July or August, Jiminez added that the restaurant does not plan to rush the process.
“It’s already a challenge just opening a business. We want the whole team to be ready before we add the extra stress of serving liquor,” he said.
The council also approved an emergency clause to expedite the ordinance.
Mayor Ray Bowman noted that while the approval process is lengthy, “there’s no reason to put it off if it helps people.”
The next council meeting is scheduled for May 20.
Image: White River Now
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