A café owner faced opposition to his bid for an alcohol licence after Brighton and Hove City Council and a neighbour raised concerns.
Florenc Gjona, 48, wants an alcohol licence from 11am to 11pm for his café Loro’s at 66 Lewes Road, Brighton, which would also be an hour later than council policy.
The café currently closes at 4pm. Neighbour Emmett Lawlor raised concerns about the noise from the kitchen extractor fan late into the night.
However, he was advised that Mr Gjona did not need a licence to serve food up to 11pm at night and would be free to do so with or without an alcohol licence.
Any noise complaints should be made to the council’s environmental protection.
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Draft conditions were agreed with Sussex Police ahead of the licensing panel hearing on Monday, August 4, which included customers being required to sit and be served by waiting staff, and any takeaway alcohol must be with a substantial food order.
During the hearing, Mr Gjona’s representative Graham Hopkins of GT Licensing Consultants confirmed a substantial food order for delivery would require a main course and side dish and be limited to eight cans or bottles of beer, lager or cider or two bottles of wine for home delivery.
Mr Hopkins also offered conditions using SIA-licensed door staff on days when there is a potential security risk, such as Pride and some Brighton and Hove Albion match days.
He told the panel – councillors Julie Cattell, Ollie Sykes and Alison Thomson – that Mr Gjona has owned the café for three and a half years and has been an SIA door supervisor for ten years and also a licensed taxi driver in the city for six years.
Raising the issue of the impact of increased energy costs and Covid on the hospitality sector, Mr Hopkins said the government is looking to change the rules for high street venues.
He said: “The impact on smaller independent venues has hit them as hard as it did the national chains. We are looking to improve the viability of the premises to meet the needs for customers with an alcohol licence.
“They (people) will want to go out later, they can be there until 10pm under the matrix, but the vast majority of adults would prefer to be out until 11pm.”
The panel retired to make its decision which is due to be made public within five working days.
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