GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Local restaurants continue to recover from the pandemic as restrictions are all but a terrible memory.
Back in January, FOX 17 did a report on the lengthy— and often confusing— process to get a license. Now, we've found documents for some applications are getting lost or expiring as they are passed between departments for approval.
When Phong Nguyen was opening up his new restaurant Monsoon in downtown Grand Rapids last June, he was understandably ecstatic. However, excitement quickly turned to stress when he began the process of applying for a Class C liquor license to be able to serve cocktails with his unique Vietnamese fare. It was a process that was tough for him at every turn.
"I feel like it could be done easier," Nguyen said.
Since Monsoon is located downtown, for liquor license approval Nguyen needed the green light from the Downtown Development Authority, the City of Grand Rapids, and the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
City approval alone took 6 months.
The holdup? A Class C Liquor License takes approval from 7 different departments in the City of Grand Rapids, including fire, planning, and police.
Nguyen tells FOX 17 the lengthy process became even more frustrating when he found out what happened to his application documents.
“[The different departments at the city] were asking for similar documents," Nguyen said. "Some of them expired, or some of them were lost in the transaction. I feel like that was not done well enough, for sure.”
Grand Rapids city clerk Joel Hondorp says it's true – this sometimes happens and he's been made aware.
“When we hear about those, we make sure that we have conversations as department heads to make sure that we're all up on the same page of what's going on," Hondorp said.
Nguyen said when he was checking up on his application, the city mentioned they didn't have some of his documents anymore.
Hondorp says staff is limited and that may be part of the problem.
"There are so many different departments. In each department, there's maybe one or two different people. So if one person had it and and went on vacation, the other person had to pick it up...I'm not exactly sure exactly," Hondorp explains. "There's always room for improvement."
Small mistakes like these can put businesses like Monsoon out of much-needed revenue.
Alcohol sales can account for about 20% of a restaurant's earnings, so the nearly year-long wait is an expensive game. Having to restart the process can be a losing one when you're trying to get customers in the door.
"Some people feel like it's not worth it to dine in without enjoying the drink with the food," Nguyen said.
Here's a look at the process to get approval to sell alcohol in Grand Rapids:
City of Grand Rapids:
How to Apply for a Liquor License
Liquor License Checklist/Resources
Michigan Liquor Control Commission:
Class C Licensing Requirements & General Information
Check Application Status
Brief Description of All Michigan Liquor Licenses and Permits
Contact the Michigan Liquor Control Commission
After waiting half a year, Nguyen got approval from all 7 city departments and the City Commission; then it was on to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) and another 6-month wait.
This long period of uncertainty is something Fay Tao is used to as well. She waited 6 months for approval from the state for her restaurant Soho Sushi (also in downtown Grand Rapids) after transferring ownership.
"I do see there's some inefficiency in the application. There is room to be improved, let's say that," Tao said.
We spoke with Tao back in January— she tells us the MLCC was in her restaurant just days after our story aired.
“The investigator came into the restaurant and decided to proceed with our case," she told us. "A month after that, we received our liquor license. So thank you very much.”
We reached out to MLCC about both Monsoon and Soho Sushi, to learn if this is the typical wait time for approval. They refused our request for an interview but did send a statement explaining delays in the process.
Approvals for Monsoon and Soho Sushi took longer than usual according to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission because both restaurants had a "weeks-long delay in providing the MLCC with requested information... Applicants have a responsibility to respond to the MLCC’s request for information in a timely manner."
Tao and Nguyen say it wasn't clear what documents were needed by the state or when— adding if there was one mistake in any part of their application, the entire thing needed to be resubmitted.
While the restaurateurs understand the importance of the process, they say communication is not where it needs to be with both Michigan Liquor Control Commission and the City of Grand Rapids.
"Let us know what kind of materials or what kind of documents to provide to you in a more specific way," Tao suggested. "So we can get them right at first, or get them right the first couple tries without going back and forth, back and forth."
Both Monsoon and Soho Sushi are now officially serving alcohol, helping to bring back some of the enthusiasm lost during the liquor license application process.
“I'm so excited," Nguyen said. "I wrote the [cocktail] menu...and this will have been a whole year so I can't wait.”
While they're enjoying this new chapter, both are hoping the powers that be have heard their stories and are making the necessary improvements to help businesses still recovering from pandemic woes.
