Alcohol Could Be Served Late at Café
By Caitlin Collins
Staff Writer

This week, Pomona was able to secure the City of Claremont’s approval to extend the Sagehen Café’s current liquor license, paving the way for a Pomona pub.

“In the past it has been more difficult to get a liquor license approved through the city,” said ASPC President Ari Greenberg ’04, “the extension consists of extending the hours that beer and wine can be served from 9pm to 12am, and being able to serve beer and wine outside. Currently, the Sagehen Café can only serve alcohol up to 9 o’clock at night.”

Pending secondary approval from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Sagehen Café will serve a dual role as bar-restaurant.

However, Dean of Students Ann Quinley cautions students against seeing the new setup as an actual ‘pub.’

“While it is tempting to call the Sagehen Café a pub, that is not what it is,” said Quinley, “we have gotten permission from the city to serve alcohol until midnight as long as we have a legitimate food service on-going. We also hope to do some redecoration to the space to make it work well for students– both those who might want a glass of wine and those who would prefer a really good cup of coffee – as a general gathering place. We have not talked with the City about a pub and this notion is something to which I am almost certain they would take exception.”

The time period for when these changes will occur is undetermined.

“Currently [the license approval] is going through the California Alcoholic Beverage Control, and the one catch that could take a lot of time depends on whether or not they want us to post it outside here for 60 days,” said Greenberg,“but, as always, stuff is in progress.”

In terms of a changes in décor, a current proposal being crafted by the Smith Campus Center Improvement Committee is to create a list of criteria for potential designers outlining what the space should include. The ASPC Senate will then hold a student forum on November 21 to receive further input.

“We are still looking as to what we want,” said Greenberg, “we think Heroes and The Press have been good models in terms of the décor we want. We don’t want the space to be dominated as an alcoholic venue.”

Along these lines, the Sagehen Café will continue to serve as a restaurant. Even with a liquor license, the city of Claremont mandates that alcohol must be offered in conjunction with food items. However, considering the Sagehen Café regularly closes at 9 pm, they could serve different foods more fitting for a pub from the hours of 9 pm to 12 am.

“I hope that alcohol service and food service can mesh easily and well without damage to either,” said Quinley. “I don’t think anybody would be happy if the Sagehen stank of beer all the time. We will have to see how compatible the restaurant and beer and alcohol service are.”

Greenberg does not feel that combining the two services will be an issue.

“It’s going to be equally accessible for students who want to drink and students who don’t,” said Greenberg, “it’s going to be a social environment; we don’t want to lose that focus that the Sagehen Café should have.”

Many students seemed pleased with the prospects of having a pub-like facility on campus.

“It sounds like a good idea to me. I studied abroad in London, and I think the pub scene is really fun,” said Sarah Myers ’04, “I think that we should have more casual places where you can just get a drink and socialize.”

However, some students feel they are being shortchanged.

“I think the administration should do what was originally promised in terms of a pub in the Smith Campus Center basement,” said Molly Unruhe ’06.

Quinley asserts that the location is a temporary solution until decisions have been made regarding the basement.

“We are doing this now because we have the license and the space and have to wait a while to do anything in the lower level,” said Quinley,“ as time passes and when the lower level is student space again, if that is something that students want and the college is willing to try for, we will make the effort. This is not a permanent solution but rather a reflection of where we are right now.”