Jobot Coffee and Dining‘s application for a series 12 liquor license has been met with mixed opinions from the restaurant’s customers.
Since Jobot opened in 2010 on Fifth Street near Roosevelt Street, it has marketed itself as a comfortable, hip location place for artists, students and others to work at just about any hour of the day. Because of the atmosphere Jobot has been able to cultivate, along with a fairly priced menu, the coffee shop has gathered an ardently loyal base of customers.
Some of Jobot’s regulars said they are looking forward to the shop introducing alcoholic drinks to its menu.
“I like this neighborhood and it doesn’t have enough bars,” ASU journalism junior Tyler Scholes said. “I think it’s cool to have the option to finish your work with a beer.”
Tyler said he frequently makes his way to Jobot to take care of schoolwork and enjoy the atmosphere.
Even some of Jobot’s potential competition is supportive of the request for a liquor license.
“We are completely supportive of it,” said Tato Caraveo, manager and entertainment director of the neighboring bar and music venue Lost Leaf. “We are really close friends with the owner.”
Other customers, who said they use Jobot as an escape from the noise of everyday life, said they think selling liquor would be bad for Jobot’s business.
“A lot of the people that I know that come here happen to be sober-living people,” customer Nico Clarke said.
She said she occasionally makes the trip from Mesa to Jobot just to meet up with her friends in Phoenix.
“I don’t really care personally either way, but I know a lot of people that really love this spot and they probably wouldn’t like that,” Clarke said.
Currently, Jobot is operating on an interim permit issued by the Arizona Department of Liquor.
“This means that the current licensee at this location is allowing the applicant to operate using their license until the applicant’s license is issued,” said Lee Hill, director for the Arizona Department of Liquor.
In order for Jobot to attain their liquor license successfully, the shop will need to be seen as “capable, qualified and reliable,” Hill said.
A series 12 liquor license would mean Jobot would remain a restaurant. But the license would allow Jobot “to sell and serve all types of spirituous liquor solely for consumption,” so long as a minimum of 40 percent of gross revenue is attained from the sale of food, according to the Arizona Department of Liquor website. Failure to meet these standards would qualify Jobot as a bar, not a restaurant, resulting in a possible revocation of the liquor license.
Jobot officially applied for the liquor license Aug. 29 of this year and will hear from the Phoenix City Council at the council chambers on Oct. 15 at 3:00 p.m.
The reporter was unable to reach Jobot owner John Sagasta following multiple attempts at contact.
For any information regarding the procedures and regulations involved in attaining a liquor license, visit azliquor.gov.
Contact the reporter at Brien.Corwin@asu.edu
