Evangelo’s seeks liquor license under new process

WASILLA — Evangelo’s Restaurant may be the first to take advantage of a new state law that allows the transfer of liquor licenses in the Mat-Su Borough. Owner Evangelo Lambernakis has operated the popular restaurant for 25 years. Under the new law and with city approval, the Parks Highway eatery is one step closer to adding cocktails to its menu.

“It’s complementary to the customers to have full service restaurant,” Lambernakis said.

About 80 percent of his customers include wine as a part of their meals, he said. Although a new liquor license would allow him to serve hard alcohol, he doesn’t expect a big change in customer preference. Overall, he wants to better serve his customers by giving them more choices. Adding cocktails and other mixed drinks to the menu could increase business, but he said he’s not the only one that will benefit. As more people go to his restaurant, he expects they will also venture to other businesses around the Valley.

In addition to bringing more business to town, Lambernakis said the menu change would likely require hiring two or three new employees.

The transfer of Borough liquor licenses became possible in 2007 when Senate Bill 28 was passed by the Legislature. The law allows three licenses to be transferred into Wasilla, Palmer or Houston. The first three transfers must take place by 2010, then an additional three transfers will be available in 2020. Wasilla was the driving force behind the transfer effort.

Casey Reynolds, economic development planner for Wasilla, said staff began working on the issue about seven or eight years ago. With tight restrictions limiting the number of available liquor licenses in the Borough and beyond, the city began exploring ways it could increase the availability of dispensary licenses.

“What we’re trying do is provide a way, on a limited basis, to allow for some of these [liquor licenses] to come in and free up the market,” Reynolds said.

Many alcohol-oriented businesses, like restaurants, have expressed interest about locating in Wasilla, but they often turn away because of the lack of licenses, he said.

Although Evangelo’s license application passed the city’s approval process, the application did receive some opposition.

Deputy Mayor Kristofer Larson said he voted against the application, but it wasn’t directed toward the restaurant. His vote was aimed at the city’s approval process.

“My no vote really has been about our process and essentially what we’re showing as favoritism,” he said.

Larson said he prefers a process that was proposed earlier this year that would have required the council to thoroughly review and rate applicants through a scoring procedure. Currently, applications are reviewed by the police department, city planner and finance department. After that, the application goes to council.

The council member also said that current liquor license holders have “earned a competitive advantage” by purchasing expensive licenses and working hard to maintain quality businesses. With transferred licenses coming into town, new businesses seem to have a leg up on longtime Valley establishments.

Although Lambernakis said he is happy with the recent approval, he knows there are more hurdles to clear. The Borough also has to approve the application, but before it can do that an approval process at the Borough level needs to be established. Lambernakis is hopeful that can be taken care of at an assembly meeting May 6.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.