Commission continues Z Pizza's extended-hours request to next month for further review

The West Hollywood Business License Commission on Feb. 3 declined to decide on Z Pizza's request for expanded late-night hours and instead continued the item to next month so staff can re-notice the application and the commission can consider broader days.

City staffer Yessica Benitez presented the application for Z Pizza at 8943 Santa Monica Boulevard, noting the property has a land-use permit (CD18-245), surveillance cameras and seven calls for service over the last 12 months. Staff said it recommended approval for Friday through Sunday extended hours to 4 a.m., and that the resolution would require one unarmed licensed security guard or an employee with a valid guard card during extended operations, among other conditions.

Applicant David Fanaroff, who said he has run Z Pizza since 2018, asked the commission to waive the dedicated security-guard requirement for the small operation and to allow broader weekday hours to match nearby competitors. He described tight margins, pandemic-related pressures and the high cost of hiring security firms; he said having even a single additional hour on weeknights would help level the playing field with nearby pizzerias and reduce conflict with customers waiting to be served.

Commissioners questioned staff about why previous approvals (notably Greenwich Village Pizza) allowed later hours on other tracks and asked for clarification about calls-for-service methodology, legal nonconforming operations and Sheriff and Code Enforcement staffing patterns on weeknights versus weekends. Staff explained older approvals predated the current review process and that the city dedicates entertainment-policing resources on weekend late-night shifts but has fewer specialized resources on some weeknights.

Options discussed included approving the staff recommendation for weekend hours with a six-month review to reassess weekday hours, adopting weekend hours now and charging no additional fees for a staff-initiated six-month review, or continuing the item to next month and re-noticing it to permit consideration of daily extended hours. The applicant said he preferred returning next month to avoid a six-month wait.

Chair moved to continue the item to next month so staff can re-notice the application; the motion was seconded and carried on a unanimous roll call (Commissioner Christian, Commissioner Cockrum, Commissioner Eisenberg, Commissioner Lebron Boyd, Commissioner Yusupov, Vice Chair Berry and the Chair all voted "Aye"). The item will return at the next Business License Commission meeting with updated noticing to allow the commission to consider weekday hours.