Papa Woody’s overcomes legal hurdle to add beer, wine

Nov. 20, 2019

After wrangling through the licensing process, a second restaurant in the Jones421 marketplace has started selling beer and wine.

Papa Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza wanted to serve beer and wine when it opened in June in the mixed-use building on North Phillips Avenue, but it had to overcome a licensing hurdle first, said Lisa Esser who owns the business with her husband, Steve Blumke.

One of the building’s first tenants, The Source Roastery + Taproom, had been granted a beer and wine license that covered the entire marketplace because of its shared seating concept. To allow a second tenant to sell alcohol, two premises had to be approved by the city and the owners of the condo units in the four-story building.

With that approval, Papa Woody’s began selling beer and wine Tuesday.

“We had a lot of people requesting that we get it and have something to offer when they would get their pizza,” Esser said.

Customers can find different options at Papa Woody’s and The Source, she said.

“That’s what’s so fun about being able to offer it now; we’re not offering the same thing that The Source has. We’re a different variety of beverages. There’s something for everyone still in the building.”

Papa Woody’s also has an off-sale license.

“Somebody could potentially on their way home call in and order a pizza and a six-pack of beer or bottle of wine to take home,” Esser said.

While wood-fired pizzas are its specialty, the restaurant is working on a pasta recipe and plans to add a wood-fired mac-and-cheese, possibly as early as later this week. It also added fountain pop recently.

Papa Woody’s is open for lunch and dinner every day but Monday.

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Papa Woody’s overcomes legal hurdle to add beer, wine

After wrangling through the licensing process, a second restaurant in the Jones421 marketplace has started selling beer and wine.  

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