Planning commission approves beer‑and‑wine permit for new Zhang Liang Malatang restaurant

The National City Planning Commission on Aug. 18 unanimously approved a conditional use permit allowing a new Zhang Liang Malatang hot‑pot restaurant to serve beer and wine with meals.

Assistant Planner Sophia Depew told the commission the new restaurant at 1430 East Plaza Boulevard (Suite E20) is approximately 2,500 square feet with about 72 seats and that 51% of its floor area is dedicated to seating, making it exempt from certain distance requirements for alcohol CUPs. Depew said the police department assigned a low risk score (12 points) and staff included standard conditions such as responsible beverage‑service training and signage ensuring open containers are consumed on site.

Owner‑operator Andrew Sainen described the business as a family‑friendly, fast‑casual hot‑pot restaurant and said alcohol would be served only with meals during regular service hours; he also said the operation will train staff in responsible beverage service.

Public commenters asked about concentration of licenses in the broader census tract and sought clarification about how type 86 tasting licenses are monitored (in the context of the earlier Target discussion). Staff explained the census tract includes a dense commercial corridor and reiterated that the restaurant’s layout makes it subject to different distance rules than a small retail store.

Vice Chair Castle moved and Commissioner Armenta seconded to adopt the resolution approving the type‑41 CUP (Res. 2025‑11); the motion carried unanimously. The planning division will forward the Notice of Decision to City Council as required.