The owners of a State College bar that received a citation last summer for three separate liquor license violations are now looking to have an additional liquor license transferred to the establishment.
Jack and Tony Sapia appeared at the State College Borough Council work session Friday to discuss the possibility of transferring a liquor license from a business Jack Sapia owns in Patton Township to the family's establishments in State College. The family owns Tony's Big Easy Bar and Bistro, Candy Bar and Lounge, and Lulu's Nightspot, 129 S. Pugh St.
Francis O'Brien, the Sapias' attorney, gave a brief presentation on behalf of his clients.
Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said the council members would be aware of the citation and it would definitely factor in the council's decision about whether or not to approve the transfer of the license.
Council member Elizabeth Goreham said the council has concerns about the citation.
"We do have concerns. The violence and the death certainly impacts our concerns," she said, referring to the February death of Penn State senior Michael Donahue, who was stabbed in what is now called Lulu's Nightspot.
She said there would most likely be restrictions placed on the license, when and if the transfer is approved that would forbid movement of the license throughout the borough without approval of the council. Council member Tom Daubert expressed concern that, once the council approved the transfer of the license from Patton Township to the borough, the license could be moved around without these restrictions.
Fountaine told the council to keep the population of State College, as well as the number of residents under the age of 21, in mind when considering the request for change of location for the license. He also told council to remember the total number of existing liquor licenses in the borough.
Dawn Petrosky, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said there is only allowed to be one liquor license in a county per every 3,000 people. According to the 2000 census data, there are 135,758 people in Centre County, which would allow 45 available liquor licenses.
Goreham said there are currently 43 liquor licenses in the borough of State College. There are 26 for bars and restaurants, eight for hotels, five for bottle shops, one for a distributor, one for a liquor store and two for private clubs, she said.
She said she understands why Sapia wants to transfer his license, but the borough has to make sure it is being careful. She said the borough does not want State College "to be just an alcohol town."
"The Liquor Control Board has a new approach in being able to put conditions on liquor license, and it's a very good idea," she said. "That's the best way to satisfy the understandable need without losing control of what's going on. This has to be worked out with Mr. Sapia and his attorney."
O'Brien told the council he simply wants to consolidate their licenses in State College.
"I realize what liquor license issues do in the borough of State College," he said. "We are not proposing to increase the square footage devoted to the service of alcohol; we are not opening another location."
State College Mayor Bill Welch urged the ban of breakfast-time sales of alcohol, like those on Saint Patrick's Day, and added that the council should "seize this opportunity while we have it."
In response, O'Brien said he understands the council's feelings on the issue, but he thinks this is a special situation for liquor licenses and should be handled differently.
"We think this is a unique situation; it's a family transfer at the same location, and it does not increase the square footage of the sale of alcohol," O'Brien said.
