Council to consider liquor license request at Tuesday’s meeting
By Alex Johnson
Correspondent
A Waterford couple is looking to open Burlington’s first duckpin bowling establishment in the former Coach’s Sports Bar at 488 Milwaukee Ave., but proposal may hit a snag in securing a full liquor license.
Burlington Mayor Jeannie Hefty said July 11 the request for a full liquor license for the establishment is scheduled to be considered by the City Council Tuesday. However, she added, officials have expressed a desire to reserve that license – the last full liquor license the city has – for a full-service restaurant, not necessarily a sports bar and pizzeria.
Ultimately that decision will rest with the entire City Council and will likely determine the path taken by Matt and Karen Allen, who are proposing a bowling center and pizzeria that would be named the Burly Duck.
If they obtain the license, the Allens plan to begin renovating the building – that has been vacant since August 2011 when former proprietor John Henry Pomaville died in a single-vehicle car accident – in the near future with eyes toward a fall opening.
What is duckpin bowling?
A duckpin bowling ball is about a quarter of the size of a regular bowling ball, and the game features a 16-foot-long lane and smaller pins. Matt Allen said it is a “family fun experience that caters to people of all ages.”
“The downtown area is going through a bit of resurgence, though” Matt Allen said. “There isn’t really a whole lot to do downtown for the family. The duckpin bowling is unique to the area.”
The Burly Duck would be the Allens’ first business venture, and they would like to see it become a “destination for the downtown sector.”
Homemade pan pizza – using an Ohio family recipe that has garnered several blue-ribbon awards – would be the mainstay at the pizzeria in addition to a full bar with a variety of scotches and whiskeys, Matt Allen said.
“We look forward to being a part of the Burlington business community in the future” he said.
A city dilemma
The request creates a dilemma for city leaders who welcome the concept, but are pinched by a lack of available liquor licenses, according to Hefty.
The city recently purchased two reserve licenses from surrounding communities. The first one was sold to Gooseberries Fresh Market, which will begin serving liquor on site following a planned renovation.
Hefty said residents have expressed a desire to see the final license go to a restaurant-only type of establishment. She said the group developing the retail and office building at the corner of Dodge and Chestnut streets has discussed the possibility of a restaurant at that site.
In the meantime, she said, the city will work with state legislators to change state law regarding liquor license caps. But that will likely take years to resolve.
Hefty said one option would be to offer a wine and beer license to the Allens for the duckpin bowling center and pizzeria. She also said there may be more suitable locations for the bowling center and pizzeria – namely the former Reineman’s sporting goods store at 417 Milwaukee Ave. The owners of Reineman’s consolidated the sports shop with its hardware store next door late last year.
Next Tuesday’s City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
Editor in Chief Ed Nadolski contributed to this story.
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