Update: Council to Extend Eatery's Closing Time, but Denies Watermans' TV Request

Updated (12:03 p.m. Thursday, March 24): In a council meeting Tuesday, March 22, the City Council reviewed a resolution to allow incoming restaurant The Counter a "soft close" and reversed its decision.

Mayor Peter Tucker and City Councilman Michael DiVirgilio again voted no. City Councilmen Kit Bobko and Howard Fishman again voted yes. City Councilman Jeff Duclos changed his vote to no. "I don’t think I can support this,” he said.

The council voted 3-2 to direct city staff to draft a resolution sustaining the Planning Commission’s original decision to grant The Counter a closing time of 10 p.m.

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The Counter restaurant, which plans to open in the Plaza Hermosa Shopping Center on Pier Avenue, should be allowed to serve food until 11 p.m. on weekends, the City Council has decided.

In January, the city voted to grant the burger restaurant, which plans to move into the building now occupied by , a closing time of 10 p.m. because the eatery serves beer and wine.

In a , the voted 3-2 to direct city staff to draft a resolution allowing the restaurant a “soft” closing time of 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

A soft close means that the restaurant must stop selling and serving alcohol at 10 p.m., but may serve other menu items until 11 p.m. Customers also must stop consuming alcohol at 10 p.m.

“It’s simply about an establishment wanting to serve food for one additional hour,” said City Councilman Howard Fishman at the meeting.

“The Counter, again, is like the kind of restaurants we want in this town. It elevates the town,” said Hermosa Beach resident Dency Nelson, speaking before the council. “And you want to be able to drink beer and wine with that kind of food.”

Hermosa Beach City Councilmen Jeff Duclos and Kit Bobko agreed with the proposal to allow The Counter a soft closing time.

But some of their fellow council members were opposed to the idea, because it was unclear how the consumption of alcohol after 10 p.m. would be monitored.

A patron could purchase a beer or wine before 10 p.m., for example, but keep it in his or her possession to drink as the restaurant stayed open until 11.

The City Council and partying have had on the downtown area on weekends and late at night.

Consistency with controlling the closing times of local bars and restaurants would help, said Councilman Michael DiVirgilio, adding that when restaurants close by 10 p.m., there are no problems.

“The inconsistency is the root of our problem,” he said.

Mayor Pete Tucker and DiVirgilio both suggested that granting a soft closing time in this case could draw other businesses to City Hall, requesting the same type of license.

But Duclos, who said that he has dined at The Counter’s El Segundo location, stressed that the difference between The Counter and some of the other businesses downtown is that “it’s a bona fide restaurant.”

“They’re a sit-down restaurant that would be an asset to this community,” he said. “There’s not going to be any negative impact.”

listed The Counter as serving one of the best hamburgers in its city. 

The City Council still plans to take a hard look at the city’s alcohol policy in future meetings as requests like The Counter’s arise.

Watermans and TVs

Another alcohol-serving establishment asked the City Council at its meeting Tuesday to appeal a Planning Commission decision.

Jeff Bellandi, the owner of on Pier Plaza, asked the council to allow his restaurant to have 14 televisions instead of being restricted to eight.

He had previously mounted 14 TVs in the establishment, and patrons enjoy having more screens available to watch, he said. But as the panel considered the matter, Councilman Howard Fishman insisted 14 was over the limit.

“I don’t want to reward a violation by giving them televisions they shouldn’t have had in the first place,” Fishman said to his fellow council members.

The council voted 4-1 to uphold the Planning Commission’s decision on the TVs.