Council Approves Liquor License for Roots Cafe

The West Chester Borough council approved a request Wednesday that would allow a local restaurant to serve alcohol.

The Roots Cafe, owned by Daniel Cellucci, presented an application to the council to allow for an "economic development liquor license," which council for the business Phillip Shehwen describe as "being more like a driver's license" than a conventional liquor license.

"We looked into a conventional liquor license, discussed the price ... and that was out of the question for a restaurant of this size," he said. "With [an economic development liquor license], it works to sell alcohol with very strict conditions. We cannot sell it or move it [which can be done with conventional liquor licenses], so it seemed to fit the bill for their restaurant."

Shehwen went on to say that the economic development license would only allow the restaurant to make 30 percent of its income off of alcohol, and that the restaurant would have to submit its income to the state Liquor Control Board and would risk losing their license if the revenue went over 30 percent.

Council expressed concerns about the restaurant staying open late to sell more alcohol at its restaurant, which Cellucci said was not his intention in selling alcohol.

"Midnight is our cutoff," he said. "We do our last seating around 10 or 11 … so I don't intend to keep the restaurant open."

With council's approval, the Roots Cafe must now appear before the Liquor Control Board. There is no solid timeline for how long the restaurant's appease with board will take, but Shehwen said the restaurant could conceivably have its license to sell alcohol by "April or June."