Councilman Eric Garcetti has joined school board president Monica Garcia in opposing a request by Fix Coffee to serve beer and wine across the street from Elysian Heights Elementary School. Garcia had requested that Garcetti oppose Fix Coffee’s alcohol permit because the corner coffee house is too close to the school at Echo Park Avenue and Baxter Street. Julie Wong, a spokeswoman for Council District 13, issued this statement:
After listening to community members on both sides and giving the issue careful consideration, Council President Garcetti decided to oppose the permit because he feels it is not quite right for the location at this time.
Garcia’s unexpected opposition was made public Wednesday morning during a hearing before a city Zoning Administrator over Fix’s request to obtain a beer and wine permit. The Zoning Administrator is expected to issue a recommendation in the following weeks.
Plans by Fix Coffee owner Marc Gallucci to expand his Echo Park Avenue cafe and serve beer and wine in a primarily residential neighborhood has generated mixed reaction from nearby residents. His permit request was approved by the Echo Park neighborhood council.
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using the school as an excuse is like using the race card..
I don’t get it. Why would Marc buy a spot for his “dream” restaurant way up on Echo Park Blvd? I’m a homeowner behind Fix and we did not buy our house with the hope we would be living behind a restaurant with live music and drinking until 11pm. Marc claims that the community has come to him wanting the spot but at other times says that having a restaurant/bar has always been his dream. As a small business owner, I understand and applaud him having a dream but why on a small corner lot, across from TWO schools with almost no street traffic and parking? He wants to build a second floor and lose most of his only parking. Fix will also be seating the majority of people outside. It just doesn’t make sense.
I wish that all these folks claiming to be concerned for the kids at Elysian Heights did one darn thing to help out at this neighborhood public school instead of pouring energy into something as silly as this imagined crisis. Seriously, if you are so worried about the kids…
Ps. @Joe, great – Garcetti has your vote it seems, but nothing sad and pathetic about the disillusionment some of us folks in CD 13 are feeling and expressing.
Dear parents of elementary school children who have fake IDs:
You have waaaay bigger problems than small cafes serving wine with dinner.
Best of luck!
- Everybody
“DJ Flip House” – you are a complete hypocrite. Funny that in this other thread you are screaming classism about someone else’s remark (here it is below in case you forgot), yet what would you call your veiled threats above? I’d say that’s a lot worse than simple classism.
“Ahh. The real reason comes out at last. It’s not gangs, or parking, or making the world safe for the ear-piercing screams of that horrible horrible parrot. It’s that “you all” don’t fit in at “our” parties.”
There are so many wonderful “what if this happens” stories in these comments, but if we knew the future we’d all be rich!! Let’s stick with learning from the past… How many shooting and deaths have occurred within a 1000 ft radius of this corner?
What do responsible owners do to their immediate surroundings?
Improve it.
With regard to not having a hood in a kitchen, it actually is a healthier and less carcinogenic way of eating. Elf has been doing it for years!
I hate the fact that fix has no phone reception, but would definitely enjoy a nice glass of wine and an appetizer in a sweet location. Especially on a beautiful day like today.
@bh
I stand by every word I said about the nightmarish screams that vile parrot. But I didn’t say anything about class — sounds like you might have a personal issue?
And if you see the comment about children with fake IDs as a “veiled threat,” then you and your heavy-drinking schoolchild need to get professional help as soon as possible.
well well i live 1 block away from the fix. Not once have they come to my house and ask if its OK if hipsters can pee all over my block . Their is no bathroom people. I cant believe you people can compare this place to silverlake it might be in the same district but totally different vibe . Once the booze comes then its the random cop patrols for the people fornicating on the street. You don’t believe me really look at past occurrences on silvelake, meth house blows up across from home . I see condoms on the floor all over the the place. more and more random car jackings , which has happen to me because of fix. NO parking and as for the only responsible ADULTS bull .
Wtf was up with that last comment?
You see? You see??? THIS is what happens if you live on the same block as that damn parrot!
At first you may think, ” wow that bird is really annoying.” After a few months, you might become reclusive and suspicious. And after a few years of its endless screams, you start seeing exploding houses and cops having having sex in the street. You start ranting about condoms and car jackings because they all drank too much coffee and there is no bathroom people.
Oh sure. We can laugh at the poor wreck that is OOPS. But be warned! No one is safe. It can happen to you too.
So let’s move beyond this petty issue of a conditional beer/wine license for a small neighborhood cafe, and focus on the *real* threat to or community. Before it’s too late. Before you or your loved ones end up like OOPS.
Let’s do something about that goddamn parrot.
@OOPS. they have a bathroom. wait, are you being sarcastic? get’s harder and harder to tell on this blog.
recall garcetti..oh wait, he’s not mayor yet…
Cant wait for the hipsters to leave, This neighborhood needs to be degentrifyed , liked it better when chumps were getting Domed out ,place sucks now, needs more drive bys and thugery.
Honestly the fact that the school is right there!!! Is kinda overwhelming, as well as the fact that there have been wayyy too many shootings in the area. I like the owner Marc Gallucci idea to expand his cafe and serve beer and wine. But what sucks is the location… seriously I think that is what kills it. Thee only thing…
There have been 4 murders on this corner in the last 2 years, over 40 random bullets sprayed into homes on this corner, a knifing in teh alley on this corner, fist fights over parking, drunks assaulting women at the bus stop and drunken parties bringing the cops once or twice week. All this with 4 schools within 1 block in either direction of Fix. The last thing we need to add to the mix is alcohol. I love our little neighborhood and want to make it better…this is a step in the wrong direction. And it won’t be the only bar, just the first if it is allowed. There will be more and more once it starts.
sorry…2 murders, 4 shootings.
Initially I supported the permit, but really it isn’t fair to the community. Even if the school wasn’t there, I wouldn’t support it. Think of the folks next door. Would you like it if your next-door neighbor turned his home into a bar?
Denying the permit will of course increase the risk that Marc will decide to close shop – his profit margins would be higher serving beer and wine…
@ J: that is exactly why you want to encourage quality business in that area. and do you realize how ludicrous your argument sounds? i’ll summarize: “there are gang members across the street who create problems in the neighborhood. let’s come down on the coffee shop.”
I live up the street from FIX, and I have to admit that it’s a nice establishment, but I’ve always I’ve always found its gentrifying presence in my neighborhood off-putting. I think it’s vibe, it’s services, are out of step with the neighborhood and the residents in its immediate surroundings. Marc is a nice guy, but his intention was never to engage all the residents in the community–the working class latinos, the cholos, the owners of the really annoying parrot, etc. I’m happy for his success, but I think his approach has been pretty crappy and grossly entitled (hipster-ish, actually), and I think the neighborhood residents reserve the right to set boundaries with him. As far as I’m concerned, FIX has not proved its worth in my neighborhood.
i kinda welcome the idea of strolling down the street to get a drink, now and again. what scares me is that if their coffee business is any indication, I will have to endure some pouty slow person, who makes a big show outta nothin, pouring me a lukewarm beer through some unnecessary contraption and charging me $12 for the pleasure, when what I really want to do is slap them.
Vato on Curran
You nailed it buddy!!! thanks for pointing out the elephant in the room
Vato on curran. While I respect your view, I find it tinged with racism.
Fix has a bathroom. It’s in the back right corner. Open eyes > open mouth.
Vato on curran has a huge sense of entitlement. He its basically saying that fix should run their decisions by him and that his opinion should be law. Fix has to prove its worth to him, lol. Is he the mayor now?
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