Board approves nonalcoholic Gastro Bar at 12009 NW 7th Avenue; condition requires return if alcohol is added

The Planning & Zoning Board approved a special exception (SE-4-25) for a business at 12009 NW 7th Avenue called Gastro Bar, which will operate past 11 p.m. but serves nonalcoholic plant-based beverages. Staff found the use met the special-exception criteria for the C-1 commercial district and recommended approval with conditions.

Staff explained that although the business will operate after 11 p.m., the establishment will not sell alcoholic beverages; under the city’s code, selling food or beverages with entertainment after 11 p.m. is regulated as a nightclub, which is why the special exception was required. The applicant, Diana Sosa, described the operation as “a Hawaiian fusion gastro bar” that serves plant-based drinks and a small menu and said the business does not serve alcohol. “We are a non alcoholic bar,” Sosa told the board.

Nearby residents raised questions about noise and parking; a neighbor asked whether outside seating would generate noise after 11 p.m. Staff noted outdoor seating had been approved but must close at 11 p.m. to avoid noise impacts. Several board members visited the site and reported the property is surrounded by commercial uses and is not adjacent to residential parcels.

The board approved the special exception with staff-recommended conditions and added an explicit condition agreed on the record: “If the applicant desires to serve alcohol, an application to amend this special exception approved by the board shall be required.” The motion passed unanimously.