A Peoria restaurant hoping to relocate to the Twin Towers Mall won’t have the ability to offer alcohol after a prolonged application process ended unsuccessfully Tuesday.
Following two previous deferrals, the Peoria City Council denied Highly Flavored’s request seeking site approval for a liquor license in a 6-4 vote.
Co-owner Jeremy Sargent admitted the stress from the months-long ordeal has taken a toll, but he tried to maintain an optimistic tone as he addressed the horseshoe prior to the vote.
“I wanted to throw in a towel on this fight, give up on it, just let it go; it seemed too stressful. But God let me know that this wasn't my fight to fight alone,” Sargent said.
“Even though it looks bad now for me, I honestly believe that it's all going to work out in the end. So regardless of the outcome of tonight, regardless of which way it goes, I just want to say that I’m going to continue to do my best to be that all that God has called me to be.”
The business has endured a tumultuous quest to reopen in the space previously occupied by the Creve Coeur Club after being forced to leave the Landmark Recreation Center in May.
Citizen and police department concerns led to the council’s original deferral on June 25 with a motion to deny still on the floor. That motion remained on the floor after District 2 council member Chuck Grayeb requested another deferral on July 9 so he could have more time to speak with constituents.
“When you do not have buy-in from affected property owners in any neighborhood, you as council members would be well advised to answer one super-simple question,” Grayeb said. “Answer one super-simple question, who comes first? The correct answer is the neighbors every single time, ahead of yet one more liquor license applicant.”
The denial went against the wishes of Mayor Rita Ali and the recommendations of city staff and the liquor commission. Council members Andre Allen, Bernice Gordon-Young and Denise Jackson joined Ali in voting against the rejection. Mike Vespa, who owns property in the Twin Towers, abstained.
“I'm asking our council to be fair in this situation. To be fair,” Ali said. “There was a business, the Creve Coeur Club restaurant, in the same site, same suite, for years, with a liquor license. Nobody complained.
“This is a site approval; it's not the liquor license, but after site approval, a liquor license can be issued. It would be a darn shame if there's a denial for this business and some other business comes a little bit later and get site approval for liquor license, when we can approve site approval for this business.”
The concerns that led to the deferrals suggested the business produced an increase of police calls at its previous location, and that Sargent owes the city approximately $1,900 in back taxes.
City attorney Patrick Hayes said a review of police reports from the time Highly Flavored operated at Landmark did not indicate the restaurant was connected to any chaos. He added that compared to similar eight-month periods over the past five years, police incidents at Landmark declined while Highly Flavored was a tenant. Hayes also said Sargent and the city have agreed to a payment plan to resolve the delinquent tax balance.
Gordon-Young disputed Grayeb’s assertion that the Twin Towers community opposes Sargent’s restaurant.
“Everyone in the Twin Towers does not disagree with Highly Flavored coming there. They just don't want the ‘smoke,’ if you will, if they speak up. So while there has been a percentage that signed a document saying that they are concerned, there is another percentage that would like to have them there,” Gordon-Young said.
“I do think it is important that we look at culture, we look at diversity. We look at: are we redlining our businesses in Peoria?”
Sargent pointed to a wave of restaurant closures in the downtown area in suggesting the council should want to encourage a business like his. Council member Denis Cyr used the same reasoning to explain his vote to deny the application.
“You use one of my favorite lines: You want to go where you're celebrated, not where you're tolerated. Where you want to go right now, you're not tolerated,” said Cyr, addressing Sargent. “I don't know why you want to go there when other businesses downtown are closing for lack of money.
“I'm telling you, I'm voting ‘no’ because I love you and I don't want you to lose any more money in this business.”
