Council issues formal warning to El Oasis Taqueria over licensing and inspection lapses

Lincoln — The council issued a formal warning to La Perra Inc., doing business as El Oasis Taqueria at 80 Higginson Avenue, after staff reported the restaurant had started renovations without proper permits and was found serving beer and wine before the town had issued the liquor license.

At the show-cause hearing the licensee said she believed she had been cleared; town staff and the building inspector described a different sequence. The building official’s letter said an April 24 inspection found construction underway before permits were pulled, prompted a stop-work order, and the premises failed inspection. The building official also reported seeing sale of beer and wine before a final inspection and before the town could issue the license.

The council enumerated the steps the licensee must complete to obtain an issued license: a final inspection and sign-off from the building official, and a certificate of good standing from the state Division of Taxation. The clerk told the applicant she must provide those documents before the town will allow the sale of beer and wine and before reopening for food service.

Formal action: the council moved and approved a formal warning. The motion cited failure to provide a certificate from the Division of Taxation and the need to complete building inspections. Councilors also urged the licensee to contact town staff or the town administrator if she had difficulty reaching responsible offices.

Next steps: the licensee was instructed to obtain the Division of Taxation certificate and a final building inspection and to return documentation to the clerk; sale of beer and wine, and reopening for food, were prohibited until the town signs off.