Council approves Liali Cafe license with limits after hookah and hours discussion

The council granted victualing and entertainment licenses to Liali LLC (Liali Cafe) at 259 Front Street but amended the requested operating hours after discussion about hookah service and neighborhood impacts.

Omar, speaking for the applicants, described the cafe as a Middle Eastern sweets and small-plate concept and said hookah service will be provided only after state licensing is granted. "We're waiting from the state to give us the license, for the hookah," Omar said, and told the council the applicants had shown inspectors a suction/filtration system to vent smoke outside.

The council and the town solicitor raised statutory compliance points and enforcement mechanisms. The solicitor noted state requirements that smoking-bar operations must demonstrate the majority of revenue comes from tobacco products and that the business must file quarterly reports with the division of taxation; the solicitor also warned that a license could be revoked if neighbor complaints about smoke are sustained.

On hours, the council revised the application to allow operation until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; the amended motion passed unanimously. The council waived the fee and directed the town clerk and enforcement staff to monitor compliance with ventilation and nuisance complaints.

Why it matters: The council sought to balance a new business's cultural and commercial offerings with neighborhood quality-of-life concerns and explicit state-level hookah regulations.

What’s next: Applicants will secure any necessary state hookah permit, operate under the local hours approved and the town will monitor complaints and compliance with ventilation and state reporting requirements.