It may take a little while longer for Palomares Cafe to reopen at its new space along Lake Chabot Road.
The voted on Monday evening to continue the restaurant's application to relocate on Lake Chabot Road after several concerns arose regarding parking and alcohol service.
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Massarweh told the MAC that paying nearly $17,000 a month for rent at drove him out of business. He said the rent at the new space is much more reasonable and was one of the only places he could find in Castro Valley where the landlord accepted a restaurant business. Every other space he was interested in only allowed for retail stores.
Despite this, he never considered relocating outside of Castro Valley.
"Castro Valley's been good to me. I have my loyal customer's over here," he said.
He wants to carry over his liquor license including the copper-topped bar from the original restaurant. For this reason, he applied for allowance of a restaurant and bar/tavern with live entertainment.
Council members were concerned about how close the new would be next to multiple alcohol-serving establishments like and .
Council chair Cheryl Miraglia was concerned with having two "taverns" — defined by Alameda County Community Development Agency staff as an establishment with an actual bar — next door to one another. "An alcohol mall in the middle of a medical district," she said, was an oxymoron.
The new location, which was previously Pizza Town, has sat vacant for more than 10 years. During the time it was open, the pizza restaurant was considered a tavern according to the county's planning department staff.
The former Sazio Ristorante Italiano on Redwood Road, a restaurant which was torn down to make room for a new neighboring medical office building, was also a considered a tavern.
Other council members were concerned of the parking being shared with the other neighboring businesses in the small L-shaped shopping space. Members referred to it as one of the most blighted properties on the block.
By the end of the discussion, the council motioned to continue Massarweh's application once he receives a parking assessment with neighboring businesses and puts together a design plan for the eatery and property as a whole.
A date for that meeting has yet to be set.
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