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Date: 3/2/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Planning Board discussed and approved recommendations for three liquor licenses for the incoming restaurants Jackalope, The Place 2 Be and El Albiente during their Feb. 2 and Feb. 16 meetings.
Jackalope
Owner and Petitioner Andrew Brow discussed Jackalope as a new restaurant coming to 254 Worthington St., which is the former space Adolfo’s occupied before the local staple closed in 2019. Brow, who also owns HighBrow Wood Fired Kitchen and Bar in Northampton, described the restaurant’s offerings as a blend of American casual options.
“We’re trying to open up a creative American casual fine dining restaurant in the former Aldofo’s location on Worthington Street…we’re trying to open up as soon as I can,” said Brow. The Jackalope owner shared that he met and gained approval for the incoming restaurant from the Downtown Civic Association.
Brow expressed his intentions to establish Jackalope as a fine dinning destination. “The whole ambiance is creative casual fine dinning in a non-stuffy environment…Like I told the civic association, I am not going for the nightclub scene. We’re serving dinner and some drinks after and closing up relatively early,” said Brow.
The restaurant owner also shared his excitement with how his team reinvented the former Aldofo’s space. “Wait until you see the inside…It looks like a whole new place. Nice, brightly vibrant colors, blue-light fixtures, the place is gorgeous,” said Brow, who also shared that the business will open the former patio space in the summer.
The Planning Board continued the item during their Feb. 2 meeting before unanimously approving it in their Feb. 16 meeting.
The Place 2 Be
Attorney Paul Maleck and the restaurant’s proposed manager Zacharias Morton discussed the liquor license request for the Connecticut staple The Place 2 Be. The 1000 Hall of Fame Way restaurant is moving into the space formerly occupied by Samuel’s Tap & Tavern at the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Maleck described The Place 2 Be as a restaurant focused on family-friendly brunch offerings. “The Place 2 Be is focused on food and a creative menu. The last thing they want to do is be a bar. They do not want to be a hangout bar. They are a family restaurant, their emphasis is on food and good service,” said Maleck.
The attorney described the leadership of the business as “well-experienced” due to their success with Place 2 Be locations across Connecticut. Morton, a business manager of The Place 2 Be franchise, shared that he will be relocating to Springfield full-time temporarily to help establish a general manager for the business.
While the new location presents several similarities to The Place 2 Be’s other locations, Morton expressed that the incoming restaurant will be tailored to Springfield. “It’s new for Springfield…Each restaurant is catered to it’s area. Each of them has similar items, but this one will be catered specifically to Springfield and the Basketball Hall of Fame,” said Morton.
Planning Board member and President of the South End Citizens Council Leo Florian shared that his council met with Morton and approved of the organization’s plans for the Basketball Hall of Fame space. “Mr. Morton came down and met with our neighborhood council last week…we took a unanimous vote to support this. Quite honestly, we can’t wait to get it into our neighborhood,” said Florian.
The Planning Board continued the liquor license during their Feb. 2 meeting before unanimously approving it in their Feb. 16 meeting. When the location opens, The Place 2 Be will be operating from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to Morton.
El Albiente
Frank Keough, a representative speaking on behalf of the Rosario family, discussed the liquor license petition for the planned restaurant El Albiente on 770 Bay St. Keough described the incoming restaurant, which will operate in the former Antonio’s Grinders and Pizza space, as a family-operated business with a concept similar to Palate Restaurant on Boston Road.
“It’s a lot of brunch…it’s not going to be a night club. They are looking to create an environment where people can come in. It’s going to have an ethnic flavor to it,” said Keough. He shared that the restaurant group met with the Bay Area Neighborhood Council and they “enthusiastically endorsed” the business.
Keough stressed that the Rosario family brings a wealth of experience to the business, with the patriarch of the Rosario family – Luis Rosario – running two successful restaurants in Springfield. The restaurant representative also advocated for the business to remain open until 2 a.m. to appeal to their core audience.
Planning Board member Luca Mineo said he doesn’t have an issue with the hours of operation due to the business being isolated from local neighborhoods. “This property itself has changed ownership quite a bit over the last handful of years. If giving them an opportunity to stay open till 2 a.m. might ensure that we have a long-term business established there, that’s something we should consider,” said Mineo.
The Planning Board continued the liquor license during their Feb. 2 meeting before unanimously approving the recommendation in their Feb. 16 meeting. The board also approved El Albiente’s request to remain open until 2 a.m.