Opposition Boils Over Coffee Shop's Request for Liquor License
The Portsmouth Town Council decided to postpone its decision on allowing alcoholic beverages at a local coffee shop.
Despite gathering about 300 signatures of support from Portsmouth residents, the owners of Custom House Coffee were met by stark opposition Wednesday night when they appeared before the Portsmouth Town Council to seek a liquor license.
The coffee shop's owners want to serve alcoholic coffee drinks, such as Irish Coffee and Espresso Martinis, at its Portsmouth shop located at the corner of King Charles Drive and West Main Road.
The town council, after hearing from two local residents, decided to postpone any vote on the requested liquor license. The request will be heard again at a meeting on Sept. 24.
"We think the town is doing its due diligence and we respect what the town is trying to do," said the shop's co-owner Mark Libby.
The shop's owners have even managed to be granted an exemption over a state law, which prohibits any establishment to serve liquor within 200 feet of a church. The coffee shop is located across the street from the King's Grant Fellowship church.
The coffee shop's owners met with state legislators about this law. According to Libby, legislators voted on the exemption a few months ago, allowing them to be granted the license with town approval.
Custom House Coffee currently operates shops in Middletown and Portsmouth, with a third shop to open this summer in Fall River, MA. The Middletown store has operated with a liquor license since last year.
In This article
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Custom House Coffee
W Main Rd & King Charles Dr, Portsmouth, RI -
King's Grant Fellowship
1000 W Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI -
Ice Fischer
10:44 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Who is opposing this and why? What is the problem? It appears the owners have been operating a successful business seeing how it has not already gone out of business in Portsmouth. Who cares if they sell alcohol! WHAT IS THE PROBLEM
Mark D
6:18 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
The problem is Portsmouth is so anti business that it isn't even funny. Postponing is this councils way of hoping that they can outlast Custom Coffee house. Many a business have given up waiting for the town of Portsmouth to decide something.
Island Porkrunner
11:00 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
why don't we have happy hour in new England? is everyone so unhappy?
getreal
2:41 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
I wish Patch would answer the questions of Ice Fischer if possible.
The Shill
3:35 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
The problem is more drunks on the road. It appears the owners have been operating a successful business seeing how it has not already gone out of business and has not had a liquor license why do they need one now. It's a coffee shop we have enough bars in town already. stick to what has already worked and concentrate on coffee.
townie
6:05 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
So, because someone sells alchol they are responsible for your drinking and driving? How about personal responsibility " The Shrill." Im tired of legislation and oversight with a lack of enforcement or even acknowledgement of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Mark D
6:23 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Agreed I don't drink just because I never cared for the feeling of alcohol. But I have no problem with someone having a Coffee drink. Everything in moderation if you can't control yourself you shouldn't drink. If you drive drunk you get arrested.
295KCD
10:07 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
Some of the neighbors feel it will create a problem with underage drinking. They pointed out that Abbey students frequent the store and would use fake IDs. So essentially we have to protect the Abbey students from themselves. West Main Pizza, a long time hangout for you people has been serving alcohol for years with not a single incident of underage drinking or fake IDs.One objector pointed out that when the entire project was approved the approval stated there would be no alchol served. The council asked the town solicitor to review the original approval and report back next week.
Ice Fischer
10:42 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
It is a coffee house, not a bar scene. There are devices that are used to scan ID's. It appears that a successful local business is looking to grow and expand and local government is holding them back along with ignorant town residents. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM.
295KCD
10:46 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
According to the town solicitor, there are no prohibitions on serving alcohol in the town's 2004 approval of the project.
getreal
10:55 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
I agree, they are not making a bar and should scrutinize all I.D.'s..Give them the permit, they are going to have a hard enough time if the tolls get shoved down our throats.
Cricket
11:46 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
Typically, establishments like this serve very little liquor in comparison to their total
annual receipts. Large liquor consumption will spike their insurance premiums thus offsetting their profits and jeopardize their already great reputation in this community. I don't think this is what the owners have in mind.
Quahaug Nation
1:39 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012
Both Providence Plantations (founded by Roger Williams in Providence) and Rhode Island (founded by Anne Hutchinson in Portsmouth) came about as a result of independent Puritans fleeing religious and social intolerance in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony. Despite our Puritan roots, and even given the pervasive anti-business sentiment in RI (the state motto should be modified to "Hope For A Handout") I can't imagine that Portsmouth could find a legitimate reason to deny this reasonable request. Let's encourage business people to strive to be successful, or even to become even more successful. That's what America is about.