Commission approves ownership transfer for Bistro Joe’s; sets hearings for Zena and 220 Merrill liquor license renewals

The Birmingham City Commission on Feb. 10 approved a change of ownership for the on-premises liquor operation at 34244 Woodward and moved to renew liquor licenses for most establishments, but scheduled separate public hearings for two properties after safety and crowd-control concerns.

At the start of the hearing, planning staff described the transfer as a standard ownership change that requires updating the site’s special land use permit and issuing a local approval notice for the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. Planning staff noted the bistro occupies mezzanine space above an operating market and that lines of circulation between the market and restaurant mean staff will need to guard and control access to ensure the restaurant’s fixed seating capacity is respected.

The applicant, Denny Bosanovsky, said he looked forward to operating in Birmingham and affirmed his willingness to work with city departments. “Just excited to be part of the city,” he said.

Police and fire reports and enforcement history Police and fire officials recommended extra scrutiny for Zena, a popular downtown establishment, after reports of repeated crowding and a series of incidents. Fire and police staff told the commission they had documented several overcrowding responses and assault-type incidents over the prior year. Fire staff described inspections that used overnight, unannounced counts to confirm occupancy and preparedness for emergency egress.

The police department and fire marshal told the commission that Zena’s popularity has required repeated enforcement visits. Fire staff said the building has a high posted capacity but questioned whether front-of-house controls were consistently maintaining clear means of egress during busy periods. The commission set a public hearing for Zena’s license renewal on March 10 to determine whether to file objections with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Another renewal moved to public hearing: 220 Merrill Fire and police also described two incidents at 220 Merrill that triggered citations for unsafe conditions and overcrowding; the owners met with staff and told inspectors they had changed practices. The commission likewise set a March 10 public hearing for 220 Merrill’s renewal to allow full public and staff testimony.

Licenses approved and next steps Commissioners voted to approve the ownership transfer for Bistro Joe’s and to move forward with renewals for the list of on-premises licenses found to be in compliance, while directing staff to mail notices to licensees scheduled for hearings. The commission’s roll-call votes were recorded as unanimous for the transfer and the broader renewal motion; Zena and 220 Merrill were singled out for hearings to allow the city to consider filing objections before the state licensing authority if problems persist.

What attendees raised in public comment Speakers raised questions about how the mezzanine restaurant area will be separated from the market; commissioners and staff discussed locked partitions, staffed host stands and existing stair-and-door configurations. In reviewing enforcement history, staff also noted past liquor-control citations that included failures to submit proof of server training and isolated occurrences tied to bank fraud or NSF checks at other properties owned by the applicant’s organization; the applicant said some incidents stemmed from bank-account fraud and that training requirements were completed but not always processed in state records.

The commission asked staff to notify owners, to include written testimony prior to the March 10 hearings, and to be prepared to show whether remedies implemented since earlier citations remain in effect.

Actions recorded The commission adopted a resolution approving the transfer of the special land use permit and the local approval notice for the Class C liquor license at 34244 Woodward; it adopted a separate resolution renewing licenses for the 2025 licensing period for institutions in compliance with Chapter 10 of Birmingham city code, and it set public hearings for Zena and 220 Merrill on March 10, 2025.

Legal/administrative notes Staff emphasized that public-hearing outcomes can be sent as objections to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. The commission requested timely written reports from police, fire and planning on compliance and any outstanding corrective measures.