City Approves Liquor Requests

GRAND RAPIDS — City commissioners approved a request last week from 3 Cousins LLC for a new development-area liquor license, the second the city has granted this summer to a downtown restaurant.

3 Cousins owns the RitzKoneyIsland restaurant at

64 Ionia Ave. SW.

The firm’s application now goes to the Liquor Control Commission in Lansing for final approval. The new licenses cost $20,000 and are similar to the standard Class C license, but aren’t transferable and are only available in official development districts, such as downtown and the North Monroe Business District.

The Big O’ Café at

80 Ottawa Ave. NW

was the first restaurant to get the city’s nod for the license.

Commissioners also transferred a Class C license from the Schnitzelbank Restaurant that closed earlier this year to a Class B Hotel license for HP3 LLC, the Alticor Inc. firm that is building the new JW Marriott Hotel. Commissioners also added a new entertainment permit to the transfer, which also has to be approved by the LCC.