Natasha Kazmi (left) and Jeremy Wladis (screenshot from CB7 Youtube video).
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Veteran restaurateur Jeremy Wladis, known for beloved neighborhood establishments including Good Enough to Eat, Harvest Kitchen and Fred’s, secured approval for a liquor license for his forthcoming iteration of Telio in the former Abigail’s space at 102nd and Broadway, which he’s partnering with Yianni Berbeis on — but not before a contentious confrontation with Community Board 7’s Business & Consumer Issues Committee.
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Wladis had applied for the license in July but the committee was on vacation. No one got back to him, so he decided to attend the meeting to ask for help moving his application along. He attended a committee meeting on November 5 and asked for the committee’s help to move things along by giving him a temporary license. After much discussion, the committee approved the temporary license request.He returned to the committee meeting on November 12 to have his application formally reviewed for a full license.
Wladis, who has spent more than 35 years living and working in the Upper West Side restaurant community, appeared for a review of his operating plans and hours. The meeting, co-chaired by Natasha Kazmi and Michele Parker, quickly became fraught.
Before calling the vote, Co-Chair Natasha Kazmi issued a pointed reprimand to Wladis:
“I just want to say that, you know, you need to take the process and procedure of the board more seriously, because what happened last week, it should not have happened.”
Kazmi, noting she is new to the committee, said she could not remember a time when exceptions were made for applicants to show up without a scheduled appointment.
“You can’t just come here without an appointment,” she said. “Either you need an appointment or a pre-scheduled meeting.”
When Wladis asked if he could respond, Kazmi declined to allow him to speak.
When eventually given the floor, Wladis said the co-chairs had “ripped” him. He told the committee he had just come from a cancer fundraiser and is himself a recent cancer survivor. He noted that in his decades of community engagement, Kazmi and Parker were the first people to ever scold him in such a manner. Kazmi repeatedly interrupted as he attempted to explain.
Despite the heated exchange (view below), the committee ultimately voted to approve Wladis’s liquor license application.
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ILTUWS spoke to Wladis. “Let’s work together, you know?” he said, adding that “our goal is to get open as fast as possible to turn more lights on in the neighborhood [and] keep more people working.” He also wanted to acknowledge those who serve on community boards: “…We appreciate that they’re doing a thankless job that’s unpaid, and they’re committing their time and help to this community.”
We also reached out to Community Board 7 and received the following response from board chair Alex Bell:
“Manhattan Community Board 7’s Business & Consumer Issues Committee (“BCI”) is committed to supporting both local businesses and residents. To help ensure a smooth and timely review process for everyone, our committee works within the deadlines and guidelines established by the City and State. We appreciate the strong partnership we have with the business community and look forward to continuing our work on behalf of the neighborhood.”
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