Spanish Town’s Belli, formerly Capitol Grocery, has faced pushback in the neighborhood over planned changes by its new owner, particularly a decision to pursue a liquor license.
Capitol Grocery, which opened in 1914, had not held a liquor license, something Belli owner Kristen Guarisco wants to change—the store did have a license to sell beer, however.
Belli, which opened in June, has been pursuing a liquor license to sell craft beer and wine in the neighborhood market. According to Alcoholic Beverage Control, any beverage with over 6% alcohol by volume is considered liquor, so simply pursuing a beer license would preclude the store from selling anything other than light beer, Guarisco says.
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Some Spanish Town residents took to a community message board to express their concerns that Guarisco or any future owner would eventually change their mind on this policy and the neighborhood institution would essentially become a liquor store.
“The neighborhood is having to trust me that I won’t sell liquor if granted authority,” says Guarisco, who has lived in Spanish Town since 2020. “People are mistrusting of the store, but I’m a whole new business. We have a different vibe.”
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Another concern of residents is that Guarisco wants to turn Belli into a club in the evenings, something she clarified by saying that she originally wanted to create an after-hours, members-only space but decided against that, hoping to “open beyond the Spanish Town community.”
Instead, she is trying to turn Belli into a “gathering space in the afternoon,” where residents from Spanish Town and beyond can come together.
This story originally appeared in an Aug. 9 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.