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Beer sales soon to expand to three floors of Feve

Upstairs bar had been closed due to health inspection

by Brad Morgan

The new Feve bar, which was opened briefly at the end of March to enthusiastic patronage, is fast on its way to being re-opened after being shut down on April 1. It was closed because it failed to follow health inspection regulations according to co-owner Matt Adelman.

In order to open the bar upstairs, the Feve needed to get an extension on their current beer license, which covered the first floor and basement. While the Feve obtained this license extension, they failed to notify the health inspector of their expansion, which is required by law.

According to Adelman, neglecting to notify the health inspector was "a big mistake on our part." Adelman said the Feve owners got lost in the excitement and intricate planning process of the bar and forget about calling the health inspector.

Adelman said the bar will "re-open as soon as humanly possible." He said the bar was a tremendous success the weekend it was open. He said, "people were happy with the way it turned out." He attributed this response to the Guinness on tap. Customers were pleased with "the prospect of getting good tap beer at a reasonable price."

Dorothy Klaus, the county health inspector, learned of the Feve's new bar from an employee at Irene's, a cafe in the Co-op bookstore also co-owned by Adelman, during a routine health inspection. Adelman and Klaus have had good relations in the past and Adelman said Klaus was very understanding about the mistake.

Klaus shut the bar down because it hadn't yet been approved by the health department. She told the Feve they needed to review their bar project with an architect. The plan could then be submitted to the county's board of health for approval.

The architect, Gary Fisher, spoke with the health inspector on Thursday, Adelman said. As soon as the architect finishes the drawings, the bar will reopen. Adelman said the bar will be closed this weekend but probably reopen by the middle of next week.

Adelman said one of the main reasons the Feve decided to open the upstairs bar was because they wanted to be "more user friendly."

The smoking section, previously located in the basement, upset many customers because the smoke rose to the main floor. As a result, the Feve has decided to designate the bar the only smoking area. Adelman hopes the reassignment of the smoking area will change the image of the Feve from a "smoky coffee shop" to a gathering place which welcomes all types of customers.

The Feve plans to always have Guinness on tap at its bar because of the enormously positive response to the beer. According to Adelman, the first day the Feve bar was opened, they sold two kegs of Guinness. That weekend they also had Bass and Rolling Rock on tap. While the Bass was popular, not one glass of Rolling Rock was sold. Adelman intends to replace the Rolling Rock with a more refined beer such as New Castle.

Adelman is very concerned about underage drinking at the bar. An ID will be required for each glass that accompanies every pitcher sold to prevent an adult from purchasing a pitcher and sharing it with a minor.

Adelman said the state regularly sends undercover liquor agents to ensure there is no underage drinking.

The Feve will be held accountable for selling alcohol to minors and receive a $1000 fine for any underage individual found with alcohol. According to Adelman, IDs probably will not be checked at the door. However, Adelman said he will attempt to ensure underage drinking does not take place anywhere in the Feve.

The Feve plans to remodel its basement this summer by adding couches and chairs and removing the pool tables. They will also install wooden flooring and play a more ambient type of music. Adelman said the room will be a "chill, laid back area."

Beer purchased at the bar will be permitted on any of the Feve's three floors, Adelman said. The crowd at the bar was laid-back, according to Adelman. Most of the patrons that weekend were college students and professors.

The construction of the bar and the renovation of the basement mark the final stage in the Feve's four-and-a-half year project to remodel and redecorate the Feve. Adelman and his brother Jason opened the Feve "with a bare minimum." Adelman said everything "could not have happened without student support."


Photo:
Where everyone knows your name: The Feve's bar sits empty now, but when the bar re-opens with Guinness on tap it will be bustling as it was before health inspectors closed it. (photo by Zach Fried)


Oberlin

Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 21, April 18, 1997

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