Commission recommends approval for restaurant alcohol license within 1,000 feet of school

The Seminole County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve a special exception allowing Maisha Sushi and Hibachi to obtain an on-site beer-and-wine license even though the restaurant lies within 1,000 feet of a school.

Hillary Payden, planner with Seminole County Planning and Development, explained the request and the applicable code standard. “This item is a request for a special exception ... to allow a restaurant within a thousand feet of a school to obtain an alcohol license,” Payden said. She told the commission the restaurant is about 2,000 square feet, seats 56 patrons, operates with no outdoor seating, and is approximately 544 feet from the UCP Early Seminole Learning Center on Sun Drive, which does not meet the 1,000-foot separation requirement named in the staff report. Payden said staff found the request met the criteria in the land development code and noted the applicant held a community meeting on June 8, 2025, as required. The staff packet cited the relevant county standard as “section 30.6 0.6 0.2 subsection D of the Seminole County Land Development Code” (as presented in the record).

Applicant Gwen Chen, who identified her address in Orlando, said the restaurant is a Japanese-fusion concept and that neighboring businesses already serve alcohol, including locations with full-liquor licenses. Chen said the proposal would not add outdoor seating and would pair sake and other beverages with the restaurant’s menu.

No members of the public submitted comment on the item at the hearing. A motion to recommend approval of the special exception in the PD zoning district was made and seconded; the commission approved the recommendation by voice vote and will forward the recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.

The commission’s action was a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners; final authority on granting the special exception and any county-issued local approvals for alcohol licensing rests with the Board and state licensing authorities. The record shows staff’s finding of consistency with the Land Development Code criteria and the applicant’s community outreach; the commission recorded no opposing voice votes or abstentions at this meeting.