By Jonathan Friedman
Associate Editor

September 24, 2014 -- Last week’s alcohol-themed Santa Monica Planning Commission meeting was not much of a party. Every item on the agenda involved requests for alcohol-serving rights or expansion of rights, and they were all approved with no comments from the public and little controversy.

The request that sparked the most conversation among the commissioners was one by the Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue for a modification to its conditional-use permit to allow meal and alcohol service to the general public in its basement area, which is currently only open to hotel guests.

More than an hour of the meeting was dedicated to discussing various technicalities regarding this request, including possible parking issues. However the vote for approval was unanimous.

With the approval, the Georgian will also be able to increase the number of seats in its main dining area from 50 to 63. The hotel has been allowed to serve food and alcohol to guests since 1994, and to the general public since 2008.

Also during the meeting, the commission unanimously approved New York-based “gourmet burger” operator Bareburger's permit request to open a restaurant at the former Omelette Parlor location on Main Street. The plan is for an 89-seat restaurant that would be open Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Beer, wine and distilled spirits will be available during all business hours.

A permit for alcohol service was also granted to ChocoChicken, which is opening a new restaurant at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. The restaurant, which has an existing location in Downtown Los Angeles, offers the unique item of chocolate-covered chicken.

The restaurant will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Beer, wine and distilled spirits will be offered during all these hours.

Also during the meeting, the commission learned that two appeals were filed against its decision last month to allow a Starbucks to serve beer and wine as part of the coffee chain’s new Starbucks Evenings program (“Selling of Alcohol Approved for Santa Monica Starbucks,” August 29, 2014).

The appeals came from a resident who was unhappy with the approval and from Starbucks, which did not care for a condition set by the commission, Planning and Community Development Director David Martin said.

The commission officially approved Starbucks' permit last week and the appeal will be heard by the City Council in December, Martin said.

The planning panel also finalized the approval for liquor service at Callahan’s Restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard.