Pairing wine with appetizers still out of reach for Caffe La Lana
Pandemic throws another wrench into costly appeals process
It seems like a lot of red tape for a little red wine.
Business partners Craig Stanghetta and Paul Grunberg are trying to sell wine along with the cicchetti (like tapas, only Italian) at their boutique grocery on Commercial Drive, Caffe La Tana.
Before they can do that, they must get the city to rezone their small space from residential to commercial.
“That we have to do a rezoning whatsoever for what we’re trying to achieve is a bit like taking a sledgehammer to put a thumbtack in the wall,” Stanghetta said.
Stanghetta and Grunberg also own the restaurant next door — in the same building — Pepino’s Spaghetti House, which, you guessed it, has a liquor licence.
“Trust me, it was a surprise to me, too,” Stanghetta said.
“When we signed the lease, the assumption was — and, well, I shouldn’t have made an assumption — but there was an operating restaurant on the ground floor of that same building and it stands to reason we could get a change-of-use next door.”
The restaurant, which was the well-known Nick’s Spaghetti House for 62 years until it shut its doors in 2017, had liquor-serving rights grandfathered in.
And on the other side of Caffe La Tana is the York Theatre, which also serves wine, according to its website.
Two rezoning hearings have been postponed so far — one in March after COVID-19 isolating began was rescheduled for early May, and that was then rescheduled for May 26 as the city begins virtual hearings for the first time.
Both business partners make it clear they appreciate the city’s effort to hear their appeal, and appreciate the staff and resources the city has provided to help them along.
If approved, the duo would then need to apply for a development permit, Grunberg said, before going to the province hoping for a liquor licence.
He estimated the 18-month process will wind up costing them almost $55,000.
“The only thing we wanted was to serve you a bit of Chardonnay with your pasta,” Grunberg said. “If I could’ve foretold the future, if we still had an option, I wouldn’t have done this.”
Stanghetta and Grunberg have had to be nimble and creative since opening their Old World-style alimentari in
March: They quickly built a takeout and delivery business model for the local and imported cheeses, meats and produce they sell, and started offering home kits for pizza (dough included), bucatini with roasted mushrooms, and spaghetti with kale pesto.
They also started Healthcare Hero, a food delivery program to workers at St. Paul’s Hospital. Customers have donated $15,000 for the meals the deli has delivered so far.
Stanghetta used to go to Nick’s with his child, and when he was a child himself the Stanghettas and their Italian neighbours frequented redsauce tavernas in northern Ontario where he grew up.
“We were like, ‘This is an iconic spot, let’s grab it before something terrible happens to it,’ ” Stanghetta said. “I was sentimental about it. The nextdoor space was sitting there, so we got that as well.
“I love that neighbourhood, it’s a real authentic part of the city.”
Being able to offer a glass of wine with cicchetti like they do in the bàcari of Venice “just seems so straightforward if you think about it in common sense terms.”