Neighbors and owners spar over proposed bar expansion at 777 West Beach; board leaves case open

Owners of the restaurant at 777 West Beach Street sought permission to enlarge an existing bar and add seating at a property in Long Beach’s West End, prompting hours of public comment and a decision by the City of Long Beach Zoning Board to leave the application open for further neighborhood discussions.

The applicants, represented by attorney Kenneth Apple and architect Edward Licalzi, asked the board to renew a temporary conditional variance (case no. 2312) and to increase the length of an existing bar by 28 feet 7 inches for a total 44 feet 6 inches; the applicant said the enlargement would add about six bar seats while improving back-bar service and storage. “The only thing we need permission for is to extend the bar,” said Victoria Lynn Scott, vice president of Profeta Corp., the applicant. “It’s about flow and storage; otherwise the space can’t function for the occupancy.”

Why it matters: Residents said the size and character of the bar matter because more bar space and sporting-event programming can change how a venue operates and how many people congregate on West Beach Street, a narrow commercial-residential corridor where parking, late-night noise and crowd behavior already draw neighborhood concern.

Board members and speakers focused on three concrete points: (1) the specific expansion sought — a roughly 28-foot increase to a total of 44 feet 6 inches of bar length and an increase of up to six stools; (2) whether the change would make the business operate more like a nightlife bar than a sit-down restaurant; and (3) enforceable conditions (noise, hours, and policing) that could be attached to any approval.

Supporters told the board the expansion was necessary for the business to operate year-round and to service catered events in an…