Politics & Government
Proposed West Bloomfield Cigar Bar, Restaurant Gets Initial Approval
Local chef and restaurateur Matt Prentice said he was recently brought aboard by the owners of Socialite Bistro, which will be located inside West Bloomfield Shops on Haggerty.
A new restaurant and cigar bar could soon change the look of a West Bloomfield Township shopping center.
Because of the restaurant's cigar bar exemption from Michigan's smoking ban, smoking will be allowed inside Socialite Bistro, but not on a proposed outdoor patio. Owners have targeted an October opening for the adults-only restaurant in the West Bloomfield Shops center, on the east side of Haggerty Road north of Maple.
The township board has already approved a liquor license for the restaurant, township senior planner Sara Roediger said during a July 9 planning commission review.
Local restaurateur and chef Matt Prentice and designer John Gumma represented the restaurant's owners in an application for outdoor seating and a walk-in cooler off the back of the building.
"As part of the restaurant portion ... they are proposing roll-up doors that will connect to the outdoor patio," Roediger said. "We did clarify that the cigar bar is completely enclosed and separated from the restaurant and from the outdoor patio area."
Prentice, who said he was "just brought aboard recently", told officials that the outdoor cooler was required because of a kitchen re-design. "That square footage will allow me to execute the level of food that will make people in West Bloomfield happy with the space," he said.
Prentice described the interior renovations as creating an "upscale space" and said the patio area would also have to have a "fairly impressive fascia". He said the company didn't put a lot of time on design until the commission approved the patio.
Cigar bar exemption
Commissioners posed questions about protective posts for the cooler, as well as the design of the patio and whether cigar smoking accessories could be sold inside the restaurant. State law requires a humidor, or storage for cigars, to be located inside the cigar bar.
Attorney Kelly Allen, who represents Socialite Bistro, said the restaurant's cigar bar exemption applies to the entire restaurant. Owners are voluntarily limiting smoking, she said, to the lounge and a VIP meeting area, which is accessed through the lounge.
"Therefore, the humidor can be in the restaurant to qualify," she said. Allen also confirmed that the restaurant cannot have diners under age 18, because of the cigar bar exemption.
Commissioners declined to approve outdoor seating without a more detailed plan, but approved the outdoor cooler. They also asked Roediger to provide clarification about the cigar bar exemption.
"Unfortunately, we can't approve something subject to something, because we don't know what you're going to bring back," chair Steven Budaj said. "If we approve the plan 'as is', then we have a problem." He said there should be no problem with the outdoor patio, so long as the design complies with all requirements.
Prentice said the October opening date meant the outdoor patio wasn't as critical as the outdoor cooler. Representatives agreed to bring outdoor plans and revised inside plans to the commission's July 23 meeting.
Watch the Planning Commission meeting on Civic Center TV's website.
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