UPDATE: 318 Coffeehouse Gets OK to Sell Wine and Beer

The Geneva  voted 9-1 Monday to grant a special use that will allow 318 Coffeehouse to operate a "cocktail lounge."

The permit will allow adults to get a glass of wine or beer, as well as coffee, at your favorite 318 address on South Third Street.

Robert Untiedt, owner of , plans to serve wine and beer inside the existing coffeehouse as well as outside on the front patio. His desire is to keep 318 Coffeehouse competitive with other coffeehouses, which are trending toward serving wine and beer.

Selling beer and wine would also allow 318 Coffeehouse to make better use of its rentable upstairs room for special events such as wine and chocolate tastings, bridal showers and baby showers, according to a summary presented by Community Development Director Dick Untch.

The sale and serving of wine and beer is classified as a “cocktail lounge” in the Geneva Zoning Ordinance. Cocktail lounges are allowed by Special Use in the B3 Business District. Graham’s 318 Coffeehouse is located in the B3 District.

Alderman Ron Singer voted against the special use.

"I have concens about setting a precedent," he said after the meeting. "Are we going to have the (All Chocolate Kitchen) asking to sell beer? Then Coco Bean and Starbucks? And then maybe the local barber shop will want to sell liquor. My concern is, where's this going to lead to?"

At its meeting on July 12, 2012, the Geneva Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of a Special Use in the B3 District to allow a cocktail lounge to operate in conjunction with the existing coffeehouse. The Plan Commission made a finding of fact on each of the nine special use standards set forth in Section 11-14-4(F) of the Zoning Ordinance.

The request was also recommended for approval 9-1 by the Committee of the Whole at its meeting on July 23, 2012.

What do the 318 Coffeehouse folks think of the idea?

"It think it will be fun," said Pat Ryan, manager and "world's greatest adventurer."