By Kevin Coughlin
The Iron Bistro battle shifts next week from Morristown to Trenton, where the town plans to defend a curfew it imposed on the proposed bar.
It was a condition the council attached last year to the expansion of Jimmy Cavanaugh’s liquor license from the Iron Bar on South Street: Alcohol sales at the Bistro next door must stop by 11:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 11 pm on weeknights. Other bars can serve drinks until 2 am.
But earlier this month, Cavanaugh got the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to stay this condition. The burden now falls on the town to explain why the curfew is necessary, at a Nov. 5, 2015, hearing before ABC Acting Director J. Wesley Geiselman.
Cavanaugh contends the Iron Bistro curfew is unfair; he said the Iron Bar has no ABC violations — the Division of Motor Vehicles even commended the establishment for combating under-aged drinking.
Moreover, he said, he was not notified prior to last month’s council renewal of the Iron Bar liquor license, which again included the stipulation for the Bistro.
“It’s highly improper,” Cavanaugh said.
“Every year, if they are going to impose restrictions, they need to notify you, and go to the state first to show why it should be put in place. They have to come with proof for their restrictions,” Cavanaugh said.
But Assistant Town Attorney Elnardo Webster II said Cavanaugh agreed to the same curfew in 2012 when he attempted to open a Mexican restaurant.
And the council imposed a similar limitation on Tashmoo when that bar sought to expand its liquor license to create a bowling alley/bar on DeHart Street.
Webster said Cavanaugh was overlooking testimony from “50 or 60 residents” who raised concerns about traffic, congestion, late-night noise, public urination and police overtime costs associated with the downtown’s densely packed bar scene.
“We’re not picking on him,” said Webster, emphasizing that the Iron Bar is unaffected by the curfew.
“There is no unilateral right to acquire property next to you and expand [a liquor license]. And if he doesn’t like that, we can just revoke his license and he won’t have a bar.”
Cavanaugh said he has spent some $2 million renovating the Iron Bistro space and hopes to open it in January, with 48 craft beers on tap. He also is trying to create a bar owners association in town, he said.
Downtown Morristown is a vibrant community and the bars and restaurants are very much a part of the attraction of the young to visit and live in Morristown. That was not always the case, 30 years ago you wouldn’t dare come to Morristown at night, 20 years ago it was a blighted community with empty stores galore, the emblem of a failed downtown. I wonder if these protesters lived here 30 years ago to see what their town could be again without the investment of businessmen like Mr Cavanaugh. Walk the town any week night – its hopping.
If you’re going to comment at least get your facts correct.
Iron Bar pays out of their own pocket for a police officer to be onsite outside every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It costs the taxpayers nothing.
The whole block, including other bars, all benefit from Iron Bar’s prudent business decision.
The Iron Bar runs a first class establishment. This is just pure politics in place.
To Dave Nagy, all 10 of them ?
Interesting, received a phone call at iron bar from a responder who complained Morristown green was not posting their pro iron bar comments. ????
I don’t know who you are, our town, but you should get your facts straight. There have been many vacancies along south street. Zubu and Cups were my tenants and failed, liberty travel on the corner, the men’s shop, and record store to name a few. I speak with many of business owners along that strip, many are having a tough time. As far as your comments referring to drunk patrons, we employ a Morristown police officer on Thursday , Friday, and Saturday nights. There have been no incidents that you are claiming. What you should be concerned about is the waste of taxpayers money being spent on this closing hour issue. No other operating business has been subjected to this restriction. Iron Bistro will be a state of the art facility. And by the way our total occupancy stays the same.
Oh the threat of the “vacant store front” – everyone knows that block is doing just fine so please don’t act like our only options are ALL BARS that stay open till 2 am and need about 4 cops per bar each Friday & Saturday night (at the tax payers expense… at least Kings pays for the cop directing traffic) OR a vacant store front. There are other options. Roots & Urban Table aren’t open till 2 am and spewing drunk people onto the streets.
I’ve been reading all these articles about Jimmy Cavanaugh and the Iron Bar, I’ve known Jimmy most of my life, he has always been a decent guy. Because he became a successful business man dose’nt make him a bad person, he has been in Morristown a lot longer than a lot of folks complaining about his business in this town. He has put his heart and soul into Morristown as well as his money, with no garentees on a return. Which means more money in the town coffers with the taxes he pays to Morristown he also creates jobs, which a lot of these complainers don’t do. I remember when Jimmy came to this town 35 years ago it was like a ghost town, he took a chance and it worked out, now the same town he helped revive now is trying to bury him you all should be ashamed.
What is the real reason the politicians are attacking Iron Bar? While other establishments are granted expansion, Iron Bar has been singled out and scrutinized unfairly. What, you need to have a relationship with the politicians like the Vail Mansion developers where you can get a liquor license without paying the market price or a tax abatement on your multi million dollar project.
Roots and Urban table share a license as does Ming at HQ Plaza, why cant Iron Bar enjoy the same business opportunity? How about the owner’s investment in the property, the taxes that are paid to the town and the employment that is created by a new business venture.
There is a lot more going on here than meets the eye.
Ever exaggerating Mr. Webster is wrong there were only 10 objectors , mostly my age, many more came out in support of our new venue. Seems some would prefer vacant store fronts.
The rule should be the same for all, plain and simple. I don’t know the owner of Iron Bar at all, so I can’t (nor would I) comment on his “wealth”. It’s no one’s business. I do know he has been invested in Morristown for decades, running successful businesses and employing local citizens, so I tend to think he deserves some respect back from the community.
A level playing field for all the local bars & restaurants sounds pretty reasonable.
I believe that Jimmy Cavanaugh, the owner of the Iron Bar, is the same person who owns Phoenix Contractors and Nina Capital, LLC of Chester that just donated $5,200 to the campaign of Justin Davis, Alison Deeb’s opponent. Where will Justin’s alliance be…to the residents of the 4th Ward and Morristown or to the bars? Alison’s donations are mostly all from the 4th Ward and Morristown residents.
When will this crap end???
He is also using his deep pockets to fund the Democratic candidates in Ward 2 & 4 – whom if elected would be on the ABC.
Scores of Morristown residents attended multiple meetings to express their concerns about the expansion of this liquor license and the harmful impact on our downtown. Our elected officials – the town council – struck a compromise and granted a limited license. This is democracy in action. Now a wealthy businessman seeks to use his money to circumvent this process. If he wins this appeal at the state level it would be a blatant display of money trumping democracy – the very thing that causes people to become cynical about politics. Let’s hope Trenton rules to let local citizens decide local issues.