Panorama Italian Restaurant Applies for Liquor License
October 15th, 2012 by Joe Burgess
The Panorama Italian Restaurant, who announced their upcoming opening last week on MLive, confirmed that they have applied for a liquor license with the State of Arkansas.
The new restaurant, located on the Monticello Square, plans to serve beer and wine to customers. They do not plan to serve mixed drinks.
Adult beverages will be served from 6 PM until restaurant closing, according to Johnny Drazhi, owner of Panorama, who pointed out that drinking will be confined to the bar area.
Drazhi told MLive, “This is not a bar. No one is going to get drunk here. We we are responsible (business owners).”
Impossible to have a good New York style Italian meal without vino. It will never happen here.
NO MATTER HOW RESPONSIBLE YALL ARE THERE WILL BE DRUNKS LEAVING THERE……… I SAY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TO THE
LICENSE…………………………………………………………………………..
Well! You cannot have a true authenic Italian restaurant if you cannot serve wine and in order to serve wine in a dry township you must apply for a liquor license. It is about time someone steps up and challanges this prohibition.
Fantastick!
here we go… time to trot out all the arguments about the evils of alcohol. I think it is ironic that the first story reporting the opening of this restaurant was greeted with approval and positive comments. now, a few days later, with news of the liquor application the tide will turn.
Two things:
First, if it were up to me I would approve this application. Second, having said that, I am still curious how a state board (ABC) can over-rule and supercede a local law. What point is there in voting dry if the ABC can ignore the local township’s laws?
Good luck, new restaurant owners. Surely you knew what you faced when you started this venture.
People do not go to restaurants to get drunk, wine at restaurants is to pricey for most people to over indulge in anyway. The vast majority of those in town the partake of the fruit of the vine are responsible, safe, law abiding adults. It would be wonderful to be able to have a glass to toast a special occasion in a public restaurant. Good Luck!
So if a new restaurant opens that doesn’t serve alcohol you go take pictures and talk about their menu and welcome a new eating place in this town… like you did on the 9th for this one.
then
Rumors start flying that the new place is trying to serve wine and beer……. shame shame new restaurant!!!! now there is a write up talking about how, when, where, and why they will serve wine and beer…. next thing you know every pastor in town will be interviewed on how places that serve alcohol are the devil and will increase the number of DWI related deaths by 10 times in the next 3 years.
then
someone else will start complaining that there is a daycare 15 blocks away and how a drunk driver is going to crash into the daycare killing every kid in the place and the driver will escape on foot before the police arrive…
get a life and leave this restaurant alone!!!
RESPONSE:
New businesses are often featured in stories on MLive.
Alchohol sales issues in a dry county / township are newsworthy enought that MLive received 1,700 pageviews with 2 hours of that update being posted.
I don’t know about the daycare 15 blocks away, but you may have made a better example by using 1 of the 3 church facilities located within 1 block of the restaurant.
Joe Burgess, MonticelloLive.com
Just because poeple drink DOES NOT mean that they are a drunk! Having a beer or glass of wine with a meal is not a sin. How many “drunks” leave The River or The Country Club in a weeks time and no one complains about them? I say HECK YES to the liquor license and hopefully more restaurant owners will follow suit very soon. Most people don’t realize just how much of the liquor taxes go to the schools, hospital, fire department, sheriff’s department and the monticello pd. Monticello is all about growth, but only when it suits the ones that it will benefit! Everyone needs to open their eyes and see just how much that extra tax will help Monticello to grow!
dry or not dry people that drink and drive will do so weather this place is approved the license or not. people will drive 30 miles away to buy liquor and drink as they drive back into town, people will sell liquor out of their homes and make a good buck out of it, these things if anything could be avoided if monticello was not dry. people that eat in nice places like these are probably not drunk drivers or bootleggers, it’s a family restaurant not a night club, so the folks that eat and drink here will most likely do so responsibly. you always have negative people that always find he worst side to any new opportunity. get over it!
Good for them its about time this town left the 18th century.
Personally, i’m all for the thought of a restaurant that serves alcohol. This could lead to great economic oportunities for this town. The larger chain restaurants that stay away from Monticello because it is dry would be more inclined to open here. I’m sure even god wouldn’t mind a little prosperity and economic growth.
I worked in Law Enforcement in Drew County and can tell you that even without a resturant that serves beer and wine we have two places already that serve acholol and a liqour store a few miles out of town and we have just as many DUI’s as the towns and counties that do have liqour stores in them now.
It’s Time to let them alone I say make the whole county wet then Parker shouldn’t be the only one allowed to make a decent living in Drew County.
I don’t care I don’t drink and I don’t even want to be around where anyone drinks……….and FYI there will be drunks in there money talks and BS walks we’ll see who wins………………I VOTE NO!!! bet they get it look who owns the square a X preacher I think JMO
This shouldn’t be allowed, i heard they are trying to make the churches in old buildings in area to move so they can sell alcohol. They think since they have money that this is right.
I believe that is great! A nice restaurant will come to Monticello. This restaurant will drive up revenue for our local economy, by hiring a staff, and generate sales tax dollars. Sipping wine/ pasta on the side I agree with you. People will not come to the restaurant to get drunk it is not a bar. It is a place to eat good food, and experience a nice eating environment without having to drive to Monroe or Little Rock and spend money generating their revenue. This is why our town struggles and is losing young educated people.
Any growth is good for Monticello. The simple fact remains that this is a small(minded) town and some citizens are set in their ways. There is nothing wrong with a restaurant selling alcohol. As for the churches in the vicinity…what’s the big deal? Nobody’s going to be sitting in the back pew eating spaghetti and meatballs with a to-go cup of beer.
To the people who are against this restaurant getting a liquor license: are you against the Monticello Country Club and The River? Are the people playing golf and drinking beer at the country club causing a problem for you? If not, then be fair and give a new business a chance.
If you don’t want to drink, DON’T!
Folks, if you want Monticello to grow, we’re going to have to eventually move into the 20th Century (we can worry about the 21st Century later). I encourage you to drive over to El Dorado, and see how busy and nice their town square has become. They have several thriving restaurants that will sell you a beer with your burrito or pizza. It’s extremely difficult for a nice restaurant to make a go of it without the extra profit that selling beer and wine brings. People who want to get loaded are not going to go to an Italian restaurant and buy beer or wine at 6 or 7 dollars a pop. El Dorado and McGehee are not burning to the ground because you can get a glass of wine with your beer; isn’t it better to keep those restaurant dollars in Monticello?
I meant “glass of wine with your pizza.” And I haven’t had a single drink…
I wish all the people bashing this idea would think about the rrestaurant choices they make while out of town shopping, etc. If you eat at any if not all the big named restaurants, look around, they serve alcohol!! And by being there, you support that restaurant. When you finish eating you get up and leave at the same time the table next to you leaves after they’ve had a glass of wine/beer with their meal. They are driving right along beside you as you leave. Does that make you all of a sudden oppose the restaurant? No, because you will go there again to eat! This town needs improvement. Ride over to El Dorado to the square downtown area. You can’t hardly find a place to park on a Saturday. They have all sorts of shops and restaurants (that sell alcohol) but I don’t fear for my life while driving down the road. Wake up people. We are not all drunks but responsible adults!! The residents of Monticello are slowly leaving and the college graduates are not staying!!
One drink and it’s a DUI. Let’s see if the cops entrap them when they leave the establishment like they do the River. They will park outside and watch. It only takes one drink. I’m not against it. I’m all for them having a license. I get sick of everytime someone mentions alcohol haters talk about the Parker’s, The River, or the Country Club. Stay home and don’t eat there if you don’t approve. The people are just jealous that someone will be making good money. I hope we get more establishments like this. I just hope there’s enough parking!
I would be more worried about the idiots with their face stuck in their Iphone while driving everytime they drive around Monticello than someone who has a glass of merlot with their lasagna. Kids, moms, grandmas, grandpas etc are more dangerous with an iphone behind the wheel than someone who eats Italian with a glass of wine.
Just sayin.
Good grief people around here sure are defensive. I saw two posts against this the rest were trying to defend it like they had been personally attacked. Personally I don’t really care either way but there is a simple solution to this whole argument if so many people want alcohol legal in Monticello just get it put on the ballot an get it to pass. There are pros and cons on both sides of the arguement but the truth is that Monticello is dry because the majority of its citizens want it that way. I for one don’t agree with letting anyone sell alchol as long as this is a dry town that includes the river and the country club. Now if and when the good citizens vote the town wet then by all means. But until that day comes can we please stop with the arguing. If you are really that passionate about it just vote it in. Remember this is a great nation where majority is supposed to rule not the overly outspoken minority.
It is as if Drew county is in a ‘dome’. There is a lot of control that occurs in this town. No one is allowed to do anything in this little community if the ‘elders’ do not agree. No new businesses, no alcohol–God forbid–!! It is like stepping over an invisible boundary and into the 1800’s! There is no compromise!! Has anyone ever been to ElDorado??? A beautiful square–3 times larger than ours and restraunts serving alcohol on every corner!! It’s beautiful AND CLEAN!!! Why can’t Monticello just be normal?!? OMG!!!
Most of everone on here is clueless and probally have never lived in a town that has a liquor store on every corner and in every store. And when it eventually happens here, everyone on here will be praying that it didnt. There is a reason why here in Monticello you can go in to Walmart at any hour and really not have to worry, for the most part ,about being assaulted or have your car vandalized, or worse. And that will all change when there is a liquor store on every corner and the crime rate goes thru the roof. If you dont belelive me, go to Pine Bluff or Greenville and see. Oh and go a few blocks off of that square in Eldorado that everyone is talking about and see what happens when you walk around or leave your car parked somewhere. I was shot at by a drunk leaving a liquor store there several years ago, so everyone just keep letting the Devil get his foot in the door here and one day when he slams it wide open, dont complain…… God warns us of this ,if everyone would just open their hearts and minds an listen!!!!
WH, did you really just compare monticello to pine bluff and greenville???
you win pine bluff and greenville are wet so monticello must turn out like them if we become wet…
im confussed though..
why did you not mention the other towns that have a liqour stores and dont have a crime rate out the roof? dumas, dewitt, fordyce, paragould, mountain home, stuttgart, rison, and hot springs im sure there are many more… i dont fear for my life when i visit these towns…
you missed a couple bad ones though, you nailed pine bluff and greenville but you forgot helena and memphis… now you have a pretty comprehensive list of the towns that have liquor stores on every corner that have a huge crime rates…
The number of liquor stores allowed in a town is based on the towns population. Only ONE liquor store per every 5000 population so Monticello would only be allowed TWO liquor stores inside the city limits and not one on every corner. Wal-Mart would only be allowed to sell beer and wine, not hard liquor. I am a registered voter and did put my name on the petition to make Drew County a wet county. Motherof2 hit the nail on the head when it comes to alcohol serving restaurants in other towns. I personally have been in Monroe and Little Rock and have seen some of Montifello’s anti-alcohol citizens in those restaurants (gasp) having a drink with their meals and then driving home afterwards! I guess they didn’t want to be seen by other Monticello citizens while they were drinking! And boo hoo x2, you are so right about the cell phones. More and more accidents are being caused by people on their phones while driving. Some people need to choose their battels wisely because Monticello will jump to the 21st century and hoepfully very soon. I think it’s high time for some new and younger “elders”!
Wasn’t water turned to wine…in the bible…??? I think that’s what I read. God warns of many, many things in the bible–Not only about alcohol, for pete sake! Over-indulgence is certainly not healthy, whether it is food, drink, etc… Again, it is as if there are invisible walls around this community! Step within the walls and hope you don’t get stuck in a place where there are no advances toward the 21st century!! It is sad!
I think Its a great idea we need another place to go eat and have a nice drink besides the river or the mexican restaurant. I hope they get it and I hope the prices are fair. For those who ate against it I your just being small minded when the place opens you know your going to be going there to try the food! So in all your just talking out your butt!
This would be good for the city. A good place to have a meal and a drink from time to time is nice. I have been reading some of the post here and people that are saying NO, I guess they have forgotten that there is already a restaurant here that serves drinks. Sometimes that restuarant is packed. I don’t hear them bashing that place. I say come-on man get with the times and it is a good ideal. Motherof2 and small town gal sure have hit the nail on the head. Great posts ya’ll. If the restaurant doesn’t get the liquor license, then I will just keep going out of town to enjoy a drink with my meal and spending my money in another city.
Another good example is Conway, one of the fastest growing cleanest cities in Arkansas. A large number of high end restaurants in Conway serve alcohol. The city is absolutely thriving and beautiful. Once all of the “old timers” die out there will be no one left here. There is absolutely no reason to stay in this town. There is nothing to do or see and no good jobs, shopping or remotely healthy food establishment. You can’t even use your debit card to pay your water bill…come on people give me and my family a reason to stay in this uptight archaic town. I know a restaurant serving alcohol won’t pull Monticello out of the dark ages, but at least there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Young people will never stay here!!! You can still be a Baptist while I drink my glass of red wine and then my husband will drive me home.
I’d like to see more industry come to this town rather than another eating place–where do folks here get the money to eat out all the time?? I only hope the folks who eat there does not drink & drive & hurt someone or kill them!!! yes cell phones are causing a lot of accidents & then there are just some folks who can’t drive worth a damn in this town–use the turning lanes for passing lanes or go clear across the lanes & whip right in front of someone without looking. I almost had a accident at the light (Wal Mart) the other day as some gal came though the light southbound as I was trying to get into the turning lane to turn in at Wal Mart & couldn’t cause she was using it instead of being in the driving lanes—–I’m not a drinker & have had experience with all kinds of drinking by family members & I have seen first hand what it does–yes beer can make one an alcholic–seen that!!! Jesus did turn the water into wine but I’ve seen folks get just as drunk off wine as I have beer or whiskey!!!!
The reason SO many people drink and drive is because their punishments are not severe enough, I know someone who has gotten 4 dwi’s in the past 5 years and hasnt spent one day in jail, just fine’s and that is rediculous, Drinking and Driving DOES kill people.
However, that one person was right, people leave the river and country club every night drunk and I doubt anyone would be able to get “drunk” as pricy as the alcohol will be. People are going to be drinking and driving regardless of whether or not this restaraunt will serve alcohol or not. and everyone needs to chill because this town is too small for an “authentic italian restaraunt” it will never make it over a year. It will be a big hit for a couple of months and then it will die down and will probably go out of business, it’s just the way it is.