Allan Appel Photo
An Upper State Street “artisan pizzeria” might soon have more room to serve visitors like Charles Turner and his 17-month-old grandson Ethan.
Press, at 932 State St., is looking to transform itself from a lounge that serves “apizza” to a full-scale restaurant with liquor license.
Press owners Peter Ferraro and Paul Weymann made their pitch before the Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday night to transform their year-old 25-seat bar into a 40-seat restaurant. In addition to a full liquor license, they need relief from a zoning requirement that they have 10 parking spots.
As with all proposals involving parking relief, the request was directed to the City Plan Commission. It will be heard there on March 21st and then returned for a vote by the BZA at its April meeting.
The expansion would not involve any change to the exterior dimensions of the restaurant, which shares a building with La Carreta Mexican restaurant next door.
The proposed floor plan for the spiffy chiaroscuro-toned establishment (pictured below) would shift the emphasis from bar/lounge to conventional restaurant by reconfiguring the interior space to have 30 people at tables and only 11 at the bar.
Weymann said the shift would be from pizza to “‘Top Chef’ stuff: sea bass, two types of raw tuna.”
The BZA staff liked what they heard, especially what the tonier fare implied for parking.
“Staff believes that the actual parking needs of a 40-seat restaurant may be considerably less than that of a 25-seat lounge given the additional standing customers associated with a busy lounge or club,” reads the staff report provided to BZA members.
The staff report also cited the community benefits that derive from a shift to a conventional restaurant, slated to close nightly at 11:30 p.m. Current Press hours go from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.