Melrose Liquor Commission Wants Changes Before Santa Fe Serves

MELROSE, MA — Santa Fe Burrito sounds like the coolest place on Earth. Burritos? Ice Cream? Booze? What a spot.

But it's that last part that's proving a bit difficult for Melrose's "more nuanced" liquor laws, as one liquor commissioner put it in a Thursday morning meeting to hear the restaurant's application.

Santa Fe is still slated to open soon in the old Papa Ginos spot at the corner of Main and Grove streets, though it's reluctantly willing to do so as a food-only establishment while it irons out some of the liquor details.

"The whole idea is to open the whole concept at once but we know that unfortunately everything has been delayed ... we can open only food and try to add the liquor side," Carlos Echavarria, representing Santa Fe, told the two-person commission (a third commissioner was unable to attend.)

The issues appear fixable, though the liquor application for an on-premises consumption retail license was missing several pieces that would have delayed it anyways. The commission may meet again in early August.

The biggest change may have to come with how and where people can order alcohol. Santa Fe will have a full liquor bar and a walk-up burrito bar — think Chipotle — and wanted people to be able to order alcohol from the seating area if they've come from the bar. The commission wants the two areas completely separate, with no alcohol allowed in the seating area.

The commission also wants to make sure any liquor bottles aren't visible from the street. The current plan is for bar seating to be facing right out toward Main Street. Also, meals where alcoholic beverages are served are supposed to be served on solid plates with silverware — but the Santa Fe plans were to have people take their food from the burrito bar and use plasticware.

Melrose will not be Santa Fe's first location, but first with a full bar.

"We are not planning to have a club, we are not planning to have a bar, it's a relaxing place," Echavarria said.

The burritos, bar and walk-up window for ice cream have piqued the interest of local residents since plans were announced in April. There are future plans for patio seating out front.

The issues raised Thursday are not expected to significantly impact Santa Fe's opening or business model. Echavarria expressed a desire to work with regulators.

"We are here to be part of the city, that's the whole idea," he said.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook