Graham's 318 gets liquor license for expanded use

GENEVA – Aldermen voted to approve a liquor license for Graham’s 318 Coffeehouse, 318 S. Third St., Geneva.

The Class B-3 liquor license was approved at the Nov. 18 City Council meeting.

It allows for a restaurant with a cocktail lounge, on-premises consumption only, with not more than half of gross dollar sales from the sale of alcohol, City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins said.

The license will be issued once its construction project is completed and the owners are issued an occupancy permit, Dawkins said.

“Everyone is really excited for the reopening of the Graham’s 318,” 3rd Ward Alderman Jeanne McGowan said to the owners Bob and Beckie Untiedt. “It’s just really amazing to see all the construction and the addition that’s been built. Can you tell us a little more about what type of alcohol products will be consumed?”

Bob Untiedt said they would restrict alcohol sales to beer and wine.

“We would mostly be pairing … wine and chocolate and we would also do beer and chocolate together,” Bob Untiedt said. “It’s just to enhance somebody’s experience at the shop, not that you would go there strictly to enjoy beer alone, you’ll be enjoying it with food.”

Beckie Untiedt said the original plan was to offer it as nightcaps, but because there is events space.

“So we were thinking well if there’s a bridal shower or something like that, we might want to go to the next (liquor license) class,” Beckie Untiedt said.

The coffeehouse closed for renovations to add 3,559 square feet of first and second floor additions, according to city zoning records.

The Untiedts sought the addition to remain competitive with other coffeehouses in the area and to keep up with customer demand, records show.