Alderman Joe Moore recently sent this email to constituents:
Dear Neighbor, As you may recall, the owners of Cafe Suron, 1146 W. Pratt, have sold their business to Mr. Aykut Sinanoglu, who plans to open a new establishment on the site called Tas Restaurant and Wine Bar. Mr. Sinanoglu has applied for an incidental liquor license, which would permit him to offer alcohol so long as it is secondary to the food service.
While the decision to grant a liquor license is ultimately left to the City of Chicago Liquor Commissioner, the opinions of the local alderman and the surrounding community often influence the liquor commissioner's decision. Two weeks ago, I sent an e-mail soliciting the opinions of community residents about the proposed liquor license. I also hosted a community meeting on January 7th, which was attended by about 20 community residents.
The community residents who attended the meeting, and the overwhelming majority of residents who sent me e-mails on this topic, supported the liquor license application. Accordingly, I have decided to support Mr. Sinanoglu's liquor license application.
While Tas will be the first restaurant Mr. Sinanoglu owns, he brings 22 years of experience in the food and hospitality industry, having most recently served as the corporate manger for the Chicago-based da Vinci Restaurant Group, overseeing its six restaurants. I am confident he will be able to handle the demands and responsibilities of serving liquor.
Should the license commissioner grant the liquor license, Mr. Sinanoglu plans a grand opening in the spring, and will offer primarily Mediterranean cuisine. Tas will be open seven days a week from 5 p.m. until 10 or 11 p.m. Tas will also offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Mr. Sinanoglu plans to open an outdoor patio during the summer months.
I'm excited about this new restaurant and will let you know when the grand opening takes place. My thanks to the community residents who took the time to share their views with me.
-- Alderman Joe Moore
