2022-12-01 Liquor Commission Minutes

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Smith: Morning, I just had a couple questions that I want to go over with you. You purchased the business in 2021, and you've been operating since then? Richmer: The restaurant portion is not open at this time, the only part that is open is the coffee shop. Smith: Okay, sounds good. The concern that I have is, I've been there at that location when the business was previously open and run, and I think it's a really good location, thought the food was really good and everything. My concerns with businesses in the Holualoa area are that parking is somewhat limited. There's some on -street parking in front of the business, and there's some parking up on that small road off the back. If your employees take a lot of the parking there, you're not going to have much parking for customers. So, I'm just wondering how you intend to address the parking concern? Richmer: When they purchased the restaurant, they did the purchase the parking lot, it's about 600 feet down, and we are currently working through what that will look like for not only employees, but patrons as well. So, we do have something in mind to resolve the parking issue. Smith: Okay, sounds good, I appreciate you taking that step. The other general comment, Holualoa is kind of an interesting area because you have a lot of older kama`aina homes as well as businesses that are kind of intermixed amongst the residential area and the businesses, is sort of a destination on the corridor of Mamalahoa Highway. So, just a word of caution, since most businesses do not allow smoking in the business, sometimes your patrons that want to smoke a cigarette, might go outside of the business, which might be next to a house or someone else's residence, so I just want to caution you to make sure that you are monitoring the behavior of your patrons there later in the evening, having conversations, loitering, smoking, and impacts that might be created when your patrons leave your business, and in the vicinity of the area. So, I wish you well, but I just had those concerns that wanted to raise. Thank you. Richmer: Thank you. No, we really appreciate that. I think the biggest thing in our families are very much into preservation and restoration, and we feel that Holualoa is very special in many ways because it is a true place of businesses and other community members residentially. My sister and I, we both live in Holualoa as well, so we understand the special uniqueness of it, as well as the historical element of it too, and it's something that we are definitely thinking and working through of what that looks and feels like, so we make sure we're respectful to the nearby neighbors as well as, making sure that our customers have a very clear direction on where those types of things are accepted if not. So, appreciate you kind of pointing that out and reminding us as well. Smith: Thank you. Raymond: Thank you. Commissioners, any further discussion or questions? There was no discussion from Commissioners. MINUTES - LIQUOR COMMISSION MEETING - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022 - KONA PAGE 6 OF 27