We'll give them another minute for Ms.

Garlack.

We'll call the order in a couple minutes.

Yeah.

Thank you.

It's Rolling Santo.

Okay.

All right, we're gonna call the order for a special um special meeting.

Uh Mr.

Hanlin, can you please do a roll call?

Uh here.

Santos.

Here.

You're allowed.

Here.

Zappa.

Yes.

Mr.

Napoli.

Here.

Fungo.

Here.

Everyone's here.

Okay, thank you.

Um the purpose of this public hearing is to take public testimony on the request for the transfer of liquor license number R-21060 for the Felix Restaurant LLC, 395 South Cedar Crest Boulevard, Allentown PA 18103.

The license would allow for a first-class full service sit-down restaurant offering primarily American cuisine.

There will be a resolution, R 33 at the council meeting that follows the public hearing that will allow City Council members to approve or disapprove the transfer.

The public hearing was advertised in the morning call on February 15th and February 22nd.

And the property was posted by zoning and notices were sent out.

The proof of publication and pictures of the posting are part of the agenda and the clerk's file.

We are here to primarily take uh public testimony.

Our solicitor, Miss Maria Montero, will provide a quick overview of the transfer process, and the petitioner attorney Ted Zeller will give a presentation and afterwards consider council questions and take public comments.

So I'm gonna hand this off to um our solicitor, Ms.

Montero.

So this hearing is being held as required under Section 461 of the Pennsylvania Liquor Code.

Uh as Allentown is a receiving municipality, we must hold at least one public hearing if the municipality is over or at the quota of one license per 3,000 inhabitants.

And so petitioner, if you would like to start with your presentation.

Thank you, Ms.

Montero.

May it please honorable city council.

My name is Theodore Zeller with Norris McLaughlin, and I'm here to represent the Felix Restaurant LLC.

The Felix Restaurant has put in a license bid with what is called the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board auctions.

Those are dead licenses that have not been renewed by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board or somehow taken away.

So we are seeking a the the license was formally in South Whitehall Township.

So as Ms.

Montero um might have alluded to, this is pursuant to 461 of the liquor code.

We have to go before a hearing for this honorable body to seek the approval to move the license into the city.

Technically, we might be moving the license only 50 feet because that's where South Whitehall Township is, right across the street.

We're right on the edge of this.

For a quick um uh view of the site and everything, it's not a lot because we're still finalizing our building plans.

I have before everybody um applicant exhibit A.

Um I'm just gonna talk, but if you want to page through that while I'm talking, have at it.

It's the old TGI Friday site um at that Cedar Point Strip Mall.

Um it's at 395 South Cedar Crest Boulevard.

It's this LLC is completely owned by my client uh Gordon Donnie Patritas, who's sitting over there at the table, and that's my associate Peter Menakos, who's with me today.

Um the formal trade name has not been established yet.

It might be an iteration of the LLC name.

Uh and we have pulled demo permits.

Demo permits are gonna start soon.

This is a complete redo.

Um you may be uh familiar with Donnie who owns um the Shelby.

Um he's also um had ownership interest in Blue Restaurant in Easton, as well as MILT down at the promenade, and also a Hamilton Kitchen, one of the pioneers to our rebirth down in in Allentown.

Um the the site itself, as you can kind of make out from the plan, is going to be 150 seats inside.

There's going to be a phase one and a phase two.

The plan that is depicted, and just briefly going through the exhibit A.

Quick snapshot of the street view of the TGI Fridays, which we're basically not demoing the building, but demoing the inside of the building.

Then we just have a quick site plan of the whole area that is around the restaurant.

You will see that it's marked with the red dot in the center.

The third page is just simply the seats.

At the bottom of that page, if you're holding it this way.

And just really quick.

If anybody, a member of the public wants to see what I handed up to council, I'm just gonna set this up here and happy to take a look at it.

The phase two is going to be a patio right here.

And that's gonna be an outside patio.

And uh that's about 80 seats planned.

Um again, it's higher end American cuisine.

Um he's not going to completely mimic what he has at the Shelby, but you're gonna be rest assured, it's gonna be very high quality food and um beverages of various degrees, wine, soda, non-alcoholic, um, but a full service restaurant.

Um we this is not a uh stop and go uh type of situation where uh I do I if we have any takeout sales, I would expect them to be under one or two percent as far as alcohol beverages go.

I just experientially at the at the Shelby, we expect accept the same experience, and there just simply isn't a to-go business.

This is a sit-down formal restaurant.

The hours of operation are going to be seven days a week.

It's gonna be 10 a.m.

to 11 p.m.

a little bit earlier on Saturdays to Sunday to support a brunch, which I think will be great for that area.

Um security plan is comprised of significant cameras on the outside on inside.

Um we're specing out approximately 20 to 30 cameras.

There'll be live entertainment occasionally at best.

Um we don't have building permits yet.

Building permits were projecting to be able to be submitted to the city in about 60 to 90 days.

But again, the process is that we've already pulled the demo permit.

And just as a reminder for this hearing, this hearing is solely for moving the approval of moving the license into the city.

We're not here to seek a building permit.

We're not here to seek any permits whatsoever or any permission.

We have to still apply to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

There's a posting uh of a placard on this on the on the building that you know other people can comment on it.

This is just simply moving the license into the city this location.

Um as I mentioned before, Mr.

Petrina's grew up in the restaurant business.

Um he's had several successful restaurants.

We're very excited that he has decided to again invest in Allentown.

It's a significant investment.

Um he's been operating at the Shelby since February of 2017.

He's never received a citation for underage or visibly intoxicated persons, illegal sales, after hour sales, any type of uh citations for any type of service issues whatsoever.

Um, but for the new Silvaggio Academy that took over the Da Vinci Center, which I would project is about 750 feet away across the busy um Hamilton Boulevard bar uh boulevard bypass.

There's no churches or schools.

You are in the mid when you combine it with what South Whitehall zone is, you are in the middle of retail trade land out there.

There's hardly a residence that you can see.

Umployees.

I don't know if I mentioned that.

Expect 60 to 70 employees, maybe more.

Um about half of those employees are part-time.

All uh health care is available to all, and uh Mr.

Petritis does fund a significant portion of that health care.

So these are good jobs in the city that are coming.

This place has been vacant for several years, and even when it was operating, we'll probably was due for a redo.

So this is a wonderful opportunity.

Um it's hard to imagine um a less objectionable application and a better user for our city to be going at this site.

Um, but we welcome any questions whatsoever um about the where we're at in the process, what our plans are um when we respectfully seek your approval.

I'm gonna ask Donnie to come up right now.

Donnie, could you uh Donnie?

Could you mumper right now?

That's all right.

So quick question did I get all that right?

Yeah, okay.

All right, did my job.

So please um fire away any questions.

I know what probably the first one.

I'm gonna ask you the first one first, okay.

When is it gonna open?

We're working on it.

Hopefully, we're hoping uh by the end of the year.

Um we're still working through the concept and planning, and hoping to have that wrapped up in the next 30 to 60 days.

So we're we're moving ahead.

Okay.

Uh any questions or comments from my colleagues, Mr.

Binder.

Go ahead.

Just for understanding this process.

The I'm assuming TJ Friday's had a liquor license.

Does that did that just go out of the city then, or is that somewhere else in the city?

Um, I think that was actually transferred out of the city.

Okay, yeah.

Allentown has the most life licenses in Lehigh County, Lag County has been over quota.

Every county um in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is over quota except Juniata.

Um, so you always are having to try and move something in or out.

Um Allentown is they're always moving more moving out than moving in.

Trying to reverse that trend, but um I think I would say more moved out than have moved in.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, Ms.

Alpha, go ahead.

Well, thank you for bringing more business into Allentown.

Um live very close to the area.

I've been to your establishments.

You run a good clean business, and uh we need more restaurants and and people like you running the restaurants.

Thank you for coming to Allentown.

I think this is a great idea, great location.

Parking, there's no schools, and and that and closing at 11.

Um, I think it's a good idea.

Thank you.

Appreciate those kind words.

Thank you.

Yeah, and thanks for pointing out that there's more than ample parking, yes.

Yeah.

Any other questions, comments?

I'll I'll quickly add to Miss Apha.

I listen, I I love small businesses coming into Allentown, and um this is exciting.

It's an area that was a restaurant, so we're just changing it to uh and updating it to a much better restaurant.

It was a chain restaurant.

Um I personally prefer small businesses versus chains, so I think it's a great swap, and your track record is impeccable.

So this is good news for Allentown.

Um and also the um a lot of employees in health care dreams.

That's that's what we need here.

I love creating jobs, thank you, Mr.

Creating jobs.

No doubt.

Okay, um, so we're good for ourselves and from the public.

Any questions or comments from the public regarding this license transfer?

Well, like the record would reflect that nobody is uh stepped up for comment.

Okay.

Okay.

So at this point, um, we will vote on this later tonight again.

It goes through the agenda.

Yep, it goes it'll be R 33, it'll be on our agenda.

And if there are no more comments from from Europe, no, no, we're all sad, and then no disrespect.

We may leave so I can get off his clock, and he's always watching my book.

So fair enough.

And uh sounds good.

And uh we'll at this point we'll adjourn and close this record.

Thank you for uh for participating.

You all have a wonderful evening.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you.