Schlossbach to transfer liquor license to Porta, Brickwall owners
For use in new restaurant in downtown art deco building
A city council vote is tentatively scheduled tonight for a liquor license transfer between two groups of prominent restaurant owners in Asbury Park.
The partners who own Porta and Brickwall tavern have an agreement to purchase the liquor license from Marilyn Schlossbach, a lead partner in Langosta Lounge, Dauphin Grille and Trinity and the Pope.
Schlossbach’s liquor license is from the former Adriatic restaurant, said Jim Watt, a member of the partnership buying the license. Schlossbach originally purchased the Adriatic in March, but quickly sold the property to John McGillion, who owns Johnny Mac House of Spirits on Main Street. The liquor license was not part of the Adriatic sale and Schlossbach retained its ownership.
Watt — whose partners are Meg Brunette, Kyle Lepree, his brother Jason Watt and Michael Alfieri — said the group plans to use the liquor license for a restaurant on the ground floor of an eleven-story downtown office building [at right} they purchased earlier this year for $3.7 million.
The restaurant space is 4,000 square feet, Watt said. The building, located at 601 Bangs Ave., was constructed in the 1920s in an art deco style. Watt told the triCityNews in June that plans were to convert floors six through eleven into either apartments or a boutique hotel. Floors two through five would remain office space, while the ground floor would house a vegan restaurant and a noodle bar, both using a liquor license.
Also on the agenda for tonight’s council meeting is a vote on John McGillion’s transfer of a liquor license he owns to the Adriatic site. McGillion plans to rehabilitate and open the premises as a bar catering to a gay and lesbian clientele.
The votes are scheduled during the regular council meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. in city council chambers.