By Steamed X-Punker
I am kind of steamed these days with the hubris that some businesses have who think they can just waltz into Ocean Beach and set up shop and start selling alcohol. I’m thinking right now of Dirty BIrds and Mr. Motto Pizza.
Is this what is going on?
Both these businesses are in the process of setting up their shops in the new plaza at Santa Monica and Cable Street. Both have applied for alcohol-selling permits. Now we learn Dirty Birds’ permit has been denied by the ABC. (Editordude: see this.) Motto’s is pending.
I have to ask: “What were they thinking?”
Didn’t Dirty Birds owners know setting up new alcohol serving places in OB could be a tough go? Had not they heard of what happened to Little Miss Brewery? Little Miss was denied an alcohol license half-way through their construction and had to tear it all down and move on. (Editordude: see this.)
According to Frank Gormlie’s reporting on the Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting the night the Board approved their alcohol permit with the condition they stop serving alcohol at 10pm, Dirty Birds had asked some big OB guns to help convince the Board they were okay. And I say this with great respect – I know and respect Dave Martin and Denise Knox. (Editordude: see this.)
Denise Knox is quoted in that article that the Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association worked with Dirty Birds for three years to help them find a place in Ocean Beach. “We worked for 3 years trying to find an OB location,” she said, “and we’re pleased at their outreach to the community.”
I know the Mainstreet group was aware of what happened to Little Miss. Little Miss was to open on mainstreet in Ocean Beach.
A good part of the community of OB doesn’t want any more bars or restaurants that become bars. They don’t want OB to turn into PB. (Sorry PB – but it is the truth.) This has been shown by Delinda Lombardo at the Beacon and other news stations. (Editordude: see this and this.)
Before you start spending thousands of dollars setting up your shop, shouldn’t you check out all the hoops you must jump through. Do some research. (Read the OB Rag at the very least for christmas sake.)
I’m sorry you had to spend so much to get your business together Dirty BIrds and your promise on hiring a lot of people was promising. Again, what were you thinking?
Maybe it was just simply hubris to think you could just waltz into Ocean Beach, a community saturated with businesses who sell alcohol, a community that has been having this discussion for at least those three years, and start selling alcohol.
Good luck Mr. Motto.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you editordude for the links and photo of Little Miss.
Mr. Moto, not Motto.
Note that the planning board does not approve alcohol licenses. However, an applicant or SDPD may elect to go to the board to seek a recommendation. In this case the board and the community got to heat them out and the board recommended approval with limits on hours. Ultimately that recommendation was not followed by ABC. They also have to consider the recommendation of SDPD and any protests, both which carry more weight than the board.
Thanks KH for the clarification. You’re such a wise old man now that you’re a dad.
I fear Dirty Birds is too late to the party. I agree that there are too many places that sell alcohol in OB. However, I would much rather have Dirty Birds, a place that sells amazing wings and has a sports bar atmosphere, than yet another brewery. I wish there was some way to take an alcohol license from one of the breweries and give it to Dirty Birds.
We don’t need another sports bar. That spot is a great place for a solid restaurant that serves non-bar food, though.
A solid restaurant wouldn’t be able to get a liquor license here and how solid is a restaurant without one?
Affordable housing is whats needed: not more bars; OB is saturated!
This reads like a headline for The Onion. I didn’t realize it was such a prevalent opinion to want OB to mimic the oh so popular alcohol policies of greater Utah.
More NIMBY garbage…as I have stated numerous times the new OB square is going to be an empty albatross because of it. How are restaurants going to open without booze? they wont last if they do.
Housing and Airbnb are much more pressing concerns.